


Somehow, He Was Always There

by DreamingofFreedom



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Akane Owari's Siblings, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Blood and Violence, F/M, Friendship/Love, Mild Language, Minor Character Death, Pre-game Personalities, Slow Burn, Stalking, Unethical Experimentation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-05-02 03:25:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 65,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14535600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamingofFreedom/pseuds/DreamingofFreedom
Summary: Akane was always alone before he came into the picture. She always had to fend for herself before he came into the picture. He always managed to help her when she needed him the most.





	1. Chapter 1

Once again, Akane was running. It was a common situation, whether from that damn stray dog trying to snag away her food that she worked hard to get, or from the pretentious perverts that were trying to touch her body. Sometimes this happened three times in a week, maybe five if she was so unlucky, but she found herself making a game of it occasionally after dealing with the issue for many months now. Parkour was a fun skill to practice anyway and this was the perfect way to do it. 

            A wall was not an obstacle as she bounded over it with ease, whooping with excitement as she glanced back at the foul man that persisted after her. He didn’t stand a chance against her, and it was hilarious that he even tried. She stuck her tongue out at him before disappearing behind the brick wall, continuing her sprint as far as her legs would take her.

            A small abandoned shack became her brief resting place to catch her breath, leaning on the tattered wall with a sigh of minor relief. She needed to get home, she needed to check on her siblings, and this sick man was keeping her from getting there. More importantly, she was hungry, but she wouldn’t eat until she got home. A few moments passed in her rest, her stomach releasing a loud growl of hunger. 

            _Ugh… so hungry! It should be safe now though._ Akane sighed. _I better get-_

“Hey sweet-cheeks! Where’d you go?”

            Akane growled irritably. This guy was seriously getting annoying, but she couldn’t afford wasting her breath and energy with him. He wanted her body, just like every other guy that chased after her in such a relentless manner. Normally she would allow perverts to fondle her in order to get it over with but… he clearly wanted way more than what was necessary. He could not be allowed to follow her home. She held her breath, waiting for him to leave. His voice dripped with lust and desire as he called for her, his voice slowly growing quiet. 

            Akane listened intently with her elevated hearing until even she couldn’t hear him anymore, peering out briefly. The loaf of bread in her shirt was getting uncomfortable. If her breasts were useful for anything aside from attracting every man’s eye, it was hiding stolen food from everyone else until she could get home to the little ones.

            The young woman left the shack, running a hand through her wild chestnut hair. She viewed her surroundings, the area dead and deserted, just like the rest of the crappy town she endured to live in. Her sight dodged the rotting bodies feet away, probably unlucky people falling to the grasp of starvation. She felt sick just thinking about it, her stomach flipping with nausea. 

            _I need to get home, I need to get home, I need to-_

_“_ There you are!”

            Akane tensed at her shoulder being grabbed forcefully, acting quickly as she whirled around, backhanding the exact same man that had been chasing her this whole time. He stumbled back, hand on his cheek that had been struck, the skin reddening.

            “Get the hell off me!” She hissed.

            He clicked his tongue irritably, eyes locking onto hers as she clenched her fists, ready to fight him away, “You little bitch!”

            Akane glared him down, waiting for him to do something before she would run again. He couldn’t chase her home or her siblings would be in danger. He was wrong in the head, and could not be near them. Cautiously, she stepped back once, twice, and the instant he approached her, she attacked. He barely had a chance to accept his fate as her foot slammed into his stomach, knocking him backwards before she bolted away, relying on her speed. Surely he couldn’t follow her after that hit, and if he did then, by the gods, he had better pray she didn’t punch him in the throat next time.

            She glanced back once to try and find him, smirking when he was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she had hot him too hard, but she didn’t care to give much of a crap about him. Now she could go home and finally give her family-

            Akane shrieked as pain blossomed in her calf suddenly, grasping at it frantically. A knife protruded from her flesh, blood seeping from the wound. She looked back at the pervert limping after her, holding his stomach with a cocky grin on his face from his successful attack. He was seriously asking for death at this rate. Akane pulled the knife out with a grunt, tossing the weapon aside into mud.

            “That was a dirty trick…” She snarled, gray eyes locking onto him threateningly.                

            “It was only necessary.” commented the psychotic man, a delirious look about him. “You just won’t let me near you. You won’t give me the chance to show you what kind of fun we can have together.”

            “Cowards fight with weapons!” Akane turned to face him, wincing when she placed pressure on her now wounded leg. “You’re just a weakling. Nothing about you is worth dealing with, but you insist on pestering me! I swear if you don’t leave me alone right now, I will seriously hurt you!”

            His eyes darkened with rage as he reached into his pocket and pulled out another switchblade, “I would love to see you try.” 

            Akane flinched. She wanted to fight him off with every fiber of her being, but her priority remained on her siblings. There was no time to waste on him, _they_ needed her more, and if he managed to hit her again with a knife

            “Just… leave me alone.” She warned, feeling more than aggravated that she was backing down in the end. Akane was never one to back down from a fight normally, but she also despised any fights that included weapons. All that was necessary were fists and spirit.

            “I can’t do that,” the pervert trilled. “Not until you become mine.”

            _Damn it!_ Akane gritted her teeth. _I’ll just have to outrun this bastard again then! I hate running from a fight, but I have to get home for them!_

She turned and raced off again, ignoring the shouts of the man and the pain in her leg. It didn’t hurt too bad, but it certainly stung with every step she took. With blood dripping from the wound, she knew she would leave a trail for him to follow. However, there was no way he could follow her up and over tall buildings. The ultimate gymnast found a sturdy wall high enough to let her leap onto a house where she continued to run, leaping building to building, aware which ones were capable of holding her up without crashing. The entire neighborhood was crappy; its people, its houses, its food, but she figured out where to go over the years. All she had to do was manage a few more months of gymnastics, then she could take her siblings and escape this place entirely…

            Akane felt weary the further she went, more than she was used to feeling after a routine escape. While she hadn’t eaten much, there wasn’t any reason for her to be slowing down so drastically. Her eyes glanced down at her leg, widening when she realized she could see her veins in a bruising shade growing over her knee. 

            “What’s… happening?” Her momentary distraction proved fatal with a misstep on her landing, tripping her over her own feet and sending her crashing to the ground. Many eyes fell on her with surprise at her sudden appearance, confused and cautious. 

            Akane pushed herself up with a nervous gasp, no longer concerned about her leg, but the loaf of bread that may have been crushed at her landing. No… no she couldn’t think about it, she had to keep running. He could reappear at any time.

            Forcing herself to her feet, she gaped in horror, leaning her weight on one foot. Her leg was unbearably numb for some reason. Did the knife… have some type of poison on it? Akane limped forward, wobbling viciously with every step on her throbbing leg. She escaped the narrow path of shacks and watchful eyes, using the shambled buildings as minor support. It was utterly embarrassing to be in such a bind, and entirely worrisome. With another step, Akane nearly collapsed if she didn’t stumble into a person. She pushed out her arms, fearful that it was inconveniently the very person she was trying to escape, but it served her nothing as her wrist was grabbed by a hand.

            “No!” Akane would have kicked if she could, but her entire leg was paralyzed with a numb feeling. If she used her other leg, she would have surely fallen over. She tried to tug away. “Let me go, you bastard!”

            “Well that’s uncalled for!” grunted a deep voice. “But fine, I’ll let go if you really don’t need help.”

            Akane took a moment to look at the speaker, highly aware of the difference in his voice. Rather than it being the persistent pervert who had injured her, it was a taller, muscular man who almost seemed to resemble a professional coach. She would have questioned him if another voice didn’t call out to her from behind.

            “I’ve found you again my little vixen!”

            Akane reeled around as much as she could to view the man ten feet away from her. She tugged for freedom again, receiving it as the strong man released her wrist, sending her falling back. Frantically, she crawled to her feet, forced to stand on one foot only.

            “How about it? Are you done running?” asked the pervert. “You don’t have a choice; that little dose from the knife wound has you immobile, and it’s probably making you sleepy.”

            “Damn you!” Akane hopped back weakly, suddenly too aware of the exhaustion sweeping over her. 

            His smile was sadistic, “Now come along. We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. There’s no one here that will bother to help you.”

            Akane felt her body shake with anger. She hopped backwards again, nearly losing her balance as her vision starting to become blurry. The stalker began to make his way towards her, striding confidently.

            “I beg to differ.” announced the stranger at Akane’s side. “It’s pretty damn clear to me that something is going on,” He stepped in front of the weary girl who eyed his backside cautiously. “And I, Nekomaru Nidai, am not someone to just sit and watched shitty things happen to someone!”

            For a moment, the perverted man seemed surprised, if not more annoyed than anything else as he stopped in place. Then, he began to chuckle, until his laughter grew louder and louder with his insanity. The switchblade was pulled out again, Akane cringing at the sight of it. 

            “What is she to you!?” growled the psychopath. “You don’t know who she is! Get the hell out of here before I kill you!”

            “I may not know who she is, but I can tell she has a lot of potential.” claimed the large man, Nekomaru. “And I can tell you’re a sick bastard trying to take advantage of her. I’ll offer you one warning; you can leave peacefully, or you can face me, Nekomaru Nidai, to a battle you’ll regret.”

            Akane heard the man scream with fury, charging at Nekomaru wildly in response to his final comment. She barely registered that he was knocked down instantly by some swift movement performed by the larger man and tossed aside like a rag doll, before he fled with his tail tucked between his legs like the coward he really was. Her initial thought was to continue her way home to feed the little ones, the second thought wondering how she could show her gratitude to the muscular man that had just helped her. Neither one of those thoughts came through to her voice, however, as her vision began to darken.

            He turned towards her, saying something that she really couldn’t understand for some reason. It was all garbled up and weird, like he was trying to speak to her in some foreign language. Whatever he said, it seemed a bit genuine based on how he was looking at her with some kind of concerned expression. He didn’t even know her name. She couldn’t really remember his despite being positive he had said it at some point. Akane tilted her head at him, dizzy and exhausted. Her mouth opened, words tumbling out slowly, “Is... the bread... okay…?”

            He then seemed genuinely confused by her random statement, speaking incoherent words again in reply. It bothered her that he couldn’t just talk normally to her, she wasn’t stupid, she knew how to talk to him. Yet, when she couldn’t bring out another sentence, his large hand reached out to her arm. Akane felt the urge to swat him away, but instead she closed her eyes and gave into the darkness that had crept over her so suddenly.


	2. Chapter 2

Akane woke with a start, eyes darting around to a high ceiling above her in confusion. Ceiling… oh, she must have been home. She sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes tiredly with a long yawn and stretch. That was one hell of a dream she had last night, but she was grateful to be awake and done with it. Though, she had to question why her leg felt abnormally sore. She was initially content and curious by the feelings in her body, until she was greeted by a familiar large man grinning down at her with immense relief, a spark in his golden eyes.

            “You’re finally awake!” He shouted boisterously. “Thank goodness, you’ve been out for hours!”

            “Wh-what!?” Akane bolted up into a sitting position defensively, absorbing her unusual surroundings as she grasped the new reality she was in. Her eyes landed on a set of bandages wrapping her leg, on the very spot she had been hit with the poisoned knife. She stared at the man towering over her apprehensively, more than confident that he had been a part of this dream she had.

            No, it wasn’t a dream. Everything that had happened… was real, and god did she have a headache because of it. “Who are you?”

            “Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” He backed off only a bit, crossing his arms and glancing over her perceptively. “The name’s Nekomaru Nidai. I brought you back to my place after you passed out in that alleyway and bandaged up that wound of yours.”

            “H-how long have I been out?” Akane cautiously addressed him, rather impressed by his grand stature alone. He was worthy of a challenge if she didn’t have other things on her mind, barely listening as he mentioned something about her being unconscious for about five hours. Instead, she contemplated her previous mission before she passed out, a spark of remembrance entering her mind.

She padded at her stomach and breasts, feeling for the food she had meant to take home. Her actions made Nekomaru avoid eye contact with her for a moment, his voice quivering briefly with embarrassment, though she instantly grew frantic when she could not feel the loaf of bread she had hidden between her breasts. “Oh no. No no no no no, where is it!?”

            Nekomaru briefly focused on her, “Uh… where is what?”

            The ultimate gymnast shot a malicious glare at him, a carnivorous snarl creasing her lips as she seemed prepared to pounce, “What did you do with my food? Where the hell is the bread that I had!?”

            He stared at her in confusion, shaking his head to express his lack of knowledge. She scrambled off the bed, scouring the room with audible sniffs in her search for her precious food. If he hid it from her, she would find it in no time. The room was rather empty though, and scrupulously impressive if she had to be honest, especially since there was some air conditioning and cleanliness to it. This was practically a palace to her.

            This was where she hoped to escape with her siblings.

“You know,” Nekomaru had a twinge of rumination come over him, hardly phased by the increase in her tone and irritable behavior. “You mentioned something about bread before you passed out, but I didn’t know what you were talking about.”

            Akane initially disregarded him, smelling around the apartment meticulously. The entire residence smelled great, taunting her with a scent of rice and the metallic scent of canned food. Her stomach rumbled just thinking about it, swallowing back her increasing saliva. The temptation to take the food she could smell existed, but she pushed the feeling down desperately. She didn’t want to stoop so low after that guy had apparently helped her out. There was a prevalence of sweat and soap; the scent of a hard worker. Probably him.

Remorse flooded her emotions once she accepted that bread was not a scent she could pick up. In her unconscious state, it could have slipped free from beneath her shirt. Such was her luck sometimes.

            “Damn it…” lamented Akane, swinging out a fist in frustration against the wall. “That was supposed to be for them…”

            There wasn’t any more time to waste; she needed to find more food and get home. Briskly, she moved past Nekomaru to the door, muttering under her breath with displeasure about her poor fortune littered with soft curses. Before she could open the door, she was stopped by the gruff-looking male grabbing her arm crudely.

            “Hey, hold up!” He insisted.

            “Shut up!” Akane barked, yanking her arm out of his firm grasp as she turned to him with a feral fire in her eyes. “Look, thanks for your help, whatever-your-name-was, but I need to leave. Just quit bothering me.”

            She made another move to the door, but this time when Nekomaru went to grab her, she swung out her leg for his face in reaction. How amazed she was when he simply grabbed her ankle before her foot neared his face. Akane gaped at him, eyes wide with disbelief. No one had ever blocked her attacks before with such effortlessness, yet there she stood balanced on one leg, other supported high over Nekomaru’s broad shoulder while he began to grin rather proudly about his achievement.

            “H-how did you…?” Akane stammered, unable to get the words out under her shocked state of mind.

            Nekomaru laughed suddenly, squeezing her ankle slightly. “Impressive! I knew there was something about you that had potential.” When Akane said nothing else, he glanced over her body as if he was analyzing her, grunting occasionally when he seemed to notice something unique about her. “You’ve clearly got the body of a gymnast; your bone structure is sturdy and your muscles are powerful in your legs despite your ostensible meager diet. You work out often at least. However, I will say your form is seriously half-assed. There’s a few things you could work on to make it better, and you would be a force to reckon with.”

            He released her leg, allowing her to gather herself. Akane hadn’t met anyone so capable of stopping her before, nor had she really met anyone who seemed worthy of challenging to a match. Her gut had been going crazy since she first encountered him, and it wasn’t just because he was seven inches taller with a figure of a body builder, or that he clearly had a strong spirit in him to account for his loud voice. Despite him practically taunting her abilities, it was briefly the main thought she had; getting a hit on him after he had just blocked her like that.

            But… she couldn’t bother with him.

            “Right,” She brushed his words aside, glancing away. “I guess I’ll think about it.”

            “You should!” boomed Nekomaru. “As an ultimate manager, I know damn well what I’m talking about! I could be YOUR manager too!”

            “Manager for what?” Akane huffed, growing annoyed by his endless perseverance. “You don’t even know who I am.”

            “Then let’s change that and tell me your name.” He stated bluntly, extending a hand to her. “You already know mine, but I’ll say it again so you don’t forget it: Nekomaru Nidai!”

            Her eyes met his again as she reached out her hand reluctantly, “If I say it, can I finally leave to get some food afterwards?”

            “Sure,” shrugged Nekomaru.

            “Then the names’ Akane Owari.” She introduced, grasping his large hand tentatively. He seized her smaller one securely, shaking robustly to earn a grunt from her. It was a respectable handshake, but it went on for a few too long seconds before she tried to retreat. “Right, well, I’m going now.”

            “Wait a second…” A flash of interest came over Nekomaru, his expression growing ominously serious. “Did you say… Akane Owari?”

            “Ugh, are you deaf?” sighed Akane. “That’s what I-“

            “HOLY SHIT!!”

            Akane threw her fists up at his outburst, back against the door she longed to get through. She normally would have gone for the punch by now, but nothing in her was saying he was a threat. Nekomaru released a booming laugh, “Akane Owari! The ultimate gymnast! You train at the gym occasionally, so that’s why I recognized you! That’s incredible!”

            _This guy is insane._ Akane relaxed her shoulders, cringing when she felt her stomach growl with hunger again. Now she was getting ticked off.

            “I’ve seen you practice before, and you’re quite impressive, but again, your form is sloppy.” Nekomaru admitted.

            “I don’t give a crap!” The feisty woman snapped. “You’re seriously pissing me off. You told me I could leave after saying my name. I need to leave, and if you hold me back any longer I swear I will break you in half!”

            He was hardly intimidated by her threat, “You have a scorching spirit too, that’s virtuous! Every athlete needs it to succeed.”

            Akane groaned. At this rate, she was trying to ignore him, searching for the door handle behind her. The moment she would find it she was going to bolt out of that place and make a run for it. Her leg was still a bit sore, but the swelling was mercifully gone as well as the veiny structure that trailed up to her thigh representing the toxin. She found the handle, turning it deftly and preparing herself to escape…

            “Before you go Akane, let me give you some sustenance.” acknowledged Nekomaru. “You need to eat.”

            The ultimate gymnast hesitated upon hearing his words, the door handle fully twisted to open her path to freedom. Her dark gray eyes locked onto his, inquisitive and simultaneously apprehensive. He could have been lying to her, taunting her even. She waited, searching for insight with her trustworthy gut feelings. There was still nothing alarming her to anything iniquitous, but she dreaded to hope. Nekomaru chuckled at her gawking before he reeled around and marched off toward his kitchen. By the gods, was he serious?

            “I’ll make you some of my famous team manager rice balls.” He hollered from the small kitchen. “Usually it’s a great after-work-out snack for athletes, but you clearly need it.”

            “Y-you’re not joking?” Akane stuttered. “You’ll really make some food for me?”

            “Why would I joke about this?” Nekomaru inquired. “There’s nothing funny about it.”

            “Th-then can you make… a few of them? So I can take them home?” Akane’s hold on the knob lessened, her heart fluttering, her stomach clenching. “C-can I ask that?”

            “Yeah sure!” the ultimate manager effortlessly agreed. “Just take a seat for a bit, it’ll take a while to cook the rice. Besides, you should really let that leg of yours rest a while longer.”

            Akane heaved a soft laugh to herself, lips curving into a large grin. Home-made food was irreplaceable. She slouched to the ground against the door, leaning her head back to get comfortable. Occasionally, Nekomaru tried to make small conversation with her, but she only hummed in agreement or disagreement. Hunger pains were getting to her, and her energy was decreasing rapidly. Conversations required too much effort, associations were unnecessary. She waited impatiently for about a half-hour before Nekomaru brought out five rice balls the size of his fist. Akane nearly fainted with ecstasy seeing them brought to her, and had to bite her lower lip to destroy the temptation to gorge herself on them then and there. An iron tang tingled her taste buds. She bit too hard.

            “Here you go!” Nekomaru offered the meal to her in a bag with a large beaming grin. “Those should fill you up good!”

            “Yeah,” Akane was practically drooling, body trembling with anticipation. Nonetheless, she still remembered her manners, bowing in gratitude. “Uh… thank you… for this.”

            “No problem,” was his friendly response. “Maybe I’ll catch you later when you’re training, Akane.”

            She glanced up at him, offering no response except a docile nod. There was no way she would give him some false idea that they would meet again. Promises were impossible to keep in the slums. Akane turned away, fingers tight on the bag handle as she left the apartment complex hastily. She had no reason to continue the banter between them.

            And honestly, she didn’t even bother to try and remember his name.


	3. Chapter 3

There were only a few things in the world that could make Akane happy.

The first and foremost item was food; it was necessary to survive the cruel world she lived in. If you didn’t eat, you were going to die.

The second ideology was fighting. Maintaining her skills was entertaining and it helped her keep creeps off her and her family as best as she could. She could outrun just about anyone, prideful of her own agility and flexibility.

The final element was seeing her seven younger siblings eat a decent meal with bright eyes and large smiles. There was something about it that Akane treasured. It made her heart warm when they hugged her with their tiny arms, thanking her for everything she did and asking about her day.

They would surround her at night when they slept, three resting on her thighs, three on her stomach, and the baby on her chest peacefully, taking in her warmth on cold nights and adoring her comfort in the heat. If she felt safe, she could fall asleep with them in seconds, but if she didn’t, she would stare at the hole filled ceiling and listen to the activities of the night. She would guard them anytime she was home, her stepmother always had a new lover every week, each one more and more suspicious and unnerving than the last. Their eyes always seemed to wander on them if Akane wasn’t around. None of them were trustworthy of being near any of her brothers and sisters.

As Akane chomped down on one of the rice balls after splitting the meal equally, she admired each of her siblings who scarfed down their share. Four sisters and three brothers, all of them locked in her heart. Haruto and Hikari were the adventurous twin male and female at nine, Midori was the sprightly eight-year-old sister, Kurenai was the six-year-old docile sister, Kosuke was the boisterous little brother at five, Tatsuo acted as the brave, capable hero at four wielding his stick sword, and Hana was the youngest at three only beginning to speak. Akane propped a knee up, using it as an arm rest as she ate with full naivety to her less than appropriate posture.

“Big sis, this food tastes so good!” chirped Midori with a full mouth.

“Yeah, my tummy feels so much better!” laughed Kosuke. “I was sooooo hungry! I bet I could eat like a hundred more!”

“But… what happened to your leg, big sis?” inquired Kurenai. “Did you get hurt again?”

Akane shrugged it off, not wanting them to know her ordeals, “Just another day of running through the town to get home. I guess I snagged a branch at some point and cut my leg, but I’m alright. I got it all bandaged up.”

They always believed her stories luckily. She did her best to keep them from the harsh truth of the world they lived in. All that mattered was that they were happy and safe, and no one was going to bed hungry or sick. Those were the hardest times to get through since they could hardly afford the medication.

“So where did you get these rice balls?” asked Haruto. “I wish we could have those all the time!”

“Some guy gave them to me.” Akane admitted, sucking on her fingers for the last bit of flavor from the rice ball. “I don’t know why, but I’m not complaining.”

“How nice of him!” giggled Hikari, a rascally smirk appearing on her lips suddenly. “Maybe he liked you~”

Akane snorted, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. “That’s highly doubtful. Now keep eating, little ones. It’s almost time for bed.”

“Okay!”

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Once everyone had finished eating, Akane had each of the siblings brush their teeth and dress for bed. She usually made a game of it so they actually cleaned their teeth instead of rinsing with filthy tap water and calling it quits. Tomorrow she would have to take them to the riverside for a bath before going in for gymnastics training. She honestly contemplated taking them with her to the gym. There was always a potential for free food somewhere if she looked hard enough, but more importantly she longed to keep her eyes on them.

Somewhere along the time, she heard her stepmother stumble in drunk as usual with two men. They fumbled around the house, slurring various things and kissing as they moved into the dingy kitchen for a meager snack. Akane instinctively moved to guard the door to the bedroom where her siblings changed themselves, eyeing down the strangers in her home who immediately took notice of her. Her body tensed up once their dull drunkard eyes met hers. Their intentions were treacherous according to her wild gut feelings.

“Oy, what happened to your leg girl?” One of them asked, pointing at the bandages wrapping her thigh.

“None of your business.” Akane snorted.

“Didn’t your mom teach you any manners?” stated the second. “You should be spanked for your rudeness.”

They chuckled hideously, nudging each other suggestively as they stared each other down before Akane felt a small hand tug at her skirt. Kurenai looked up at her with a small comb in her other hand, silently asking for assistance with her hair. Her timid eyes occasionally darted over to the men as if she was trying to tell Akane to avoid interacting with them. The ultimate gymnast took the child’s hand leading her into the bedroom where the others sat, waiting for their sisters, while the two men clicked their tongues with disappointment at her departure, but allowed her to get away.

A house without any doors could be a curse in these situations, no matter how used to it they were. Cardboard, a single pillow, and a tattered blanket was considered a bed in the shack. All eight of them shared it willingly. Akane ran the comb through Kurenai’s longer hair slowly, eyes watching the entrance diligently. Her stepmother seemed to have their attention once again, sitting in one of their laps while the other trailed his fingers up and down her arm flirtatiously. She shook her head with an irritated sigh, focusing on her siblings again.

“I bet she’s gonna have another baby.” remarked Hikari. “She always has a baby when they get home this late.”

“So… they’re gonna fuck?” said Haruto, shrieking when Akane tossed the comb at his head.

“And exactly where did you learn that language?” The older sibling reprimanded. “I’ll make you use soap to wash your mouth boy.”

“W-well Tobi at school said that when his parents fuck, they have a baby.” Haruto explained. “I don’t really get what he was saying though.”

“He means that when a mommy and a daddy get naked they- “

Akane spoke up loudly to cut off Hikari quickly, gesturing for the comb again.

“We need to go to the river first thing in the morning.” She claimed. “You guys are startin’ to make my nose sting with your stench.”

“It’s not our fault we can’t shower.” whined Midori. “Our bathtub doesn’t work and you tell us to stay here when we don’t have any school.”

“I know li’l ones…” Akane muttered somberly, taking the comb from Haruto who brought it back to her. “But you know it’s not safe out there by yourselves.”

“I bet I can take on anyone!” bragged Tatsuo, holding up his small fists and making mock swings. “Just you watch, I-I can punch em’ hard!”

“Hard!” repeated little Hana, palms tapping on the ground.

Akane grinned, “Such a tough kid. Alright, who else needs their hair combed?”

She made her rounds with Midori, Hikari, and Tatsuo, patting their heads each time she finished one to move them aside for the next sibling. They were all yawning in minutes, getting to their respectable spots of rest with the middle open for Akane who eventually ran the comb through her hair a few times before giving up out of laziness. Her eyes drifted back to their stepmother, disgusted to see her sucking face with one of the men while the other had his hands wandering under her shirt groping at her body.

She blew out the single candle that lit the room at night, eyes adjusting to the darkness so she could step over her siblings. The moment she laid down, she was surrounded by each of them, Hana climbing onto her chest and nestling against her breasts, Haruto and Hikari rested on her thighs, Midori settled on her stomach, Kurenai and Kosuke held her arms, and Tatsuo flopped onto her legs. Their soft snores could be heard in minutes, Akane sighing contently. She was always their pillow, but she was never bothered by it.

From the living room, she could hear her stepmother giggling and moaning in the company of her lovers. They wouldn’t sleep for another few hours, desiring each other throughout the night. Besides, Akane refused to sleep until she couldn’t hear any of them shuffling about the small house, making absolutely sure that none of the men would sneak into the room. When the house grew silent with only the sound of crickets chirping a lovely song into the night, she allowed her eyes to finally rest, clutching her siblings in her arms and drifted into blissful sleep.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nekomaru stared out of the window in his apartment, arms crossed at his chest, mind traveling a straight path. Meeting Akane Owari in the flesh was pure destiny in his eyes. He had heard rumor about the talented gymnast woman that seemed to come out of nowhere, winning a small-town competition for a small sum of money. She had performed impressively without a coach’s guidance, her movements fluid and unique, but clearly holding potential for improvement. Athletes could be incredible on their own, but they would never reach full capacity alone. Nekomaru wished he was able to speak to her for a bit longer, but she left in such an impatient rush that he didn’t get the chance to know when or if she would even return to the gym for practice.

What he saw in her during their first encounter was astounding, even if she was half-asleep from some jackass’ actions. He could never explain first encounters, but he was determined to figure out the final confrontation. Whenever he met someone that screamed promise like Akane, his manager attitude tore at him endlessly until he met rejection or acceptance by their hand. In the past ten minutes, he had already thought up an intense training regime for her explicitly. He heavily exhaled, turning from the window with his mind made up.

_So be it_ , He thought to himself, accepting that he was completely galvanized by the fiery woman. _I’ll just have to go to the gym every day until we meet again_. _If she accepts, I’ll help her out to the best of my ability, but if she refuses… then there’s nothing I can do about it._

Nekomaru flicked off the lights, slipping out of his black jacket and removing his chained whistle from around his neck. First thing in the morning, he decided, he would run by the riverside for some fresh air before heading to the gym.

Hopefully, Akane Owari was an easy person to find.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me an hour to think of some names for the siblings... ._. I'm too picky sometimes.


	4. Chapter 4

“Hold still Midori!” yapped Akane, grabbing her plucky sibling by the arm before she dove into the river for the umpteenth time. “You need to wash your hair!”

            “But I just wanna swim!” Midori complained, sticking out her bottom lip for dramatic effect. “I haven’t swum in ten thousand years!”

            Akane snorted, proceeding to lather her sisters’ hair with shampoo despite her continuing protests. They had been awake since before sunrise to bathe in the river a few miles from their little house, making sure to not wake up their stepmother and her lovers. Each sibling shamelessly stripped down and cleaned themselves thoroughly with Akane’s help before being allowed to play in the water while Akane scrubbed their clothing and her own, hanging them to dry on nearby tree branches. This was usually a tri-weekly process if she could get them all to wake up on time. Her nose didn’t allow them to go longer than two days typically, three at maximum before she would drag them by the ear while pinching her nose shut in abhorrence.

            Early mornings were the best time in warmer weather before others scrounged around the area to witness their exposed bathing moments, Akane mainly enjoying the freedom from her clothing without degenerate eyes ogling her body. Winter periods required searches for warm places to rest in and water to bathe in that wasn’t frozen solid. Libraries tended to be the first habitation Akane sought out for warmth and rest, while the gym she practiced in held precious warm water.

            “Hey, hey! Watch what I can do, Akane!” bragged Midori before taking a mouthful of water in and shooting it through her two front teeth.

            Akane smiled brightly, “Cool trick! Just don’t drink the water, we’ll get some at the gym after this.”

            “Aw, do you have to go do gymnastics again?” protested Kurenai. “I don’t wanna go home…”

            “Can we watch you this time big sis?” asked Hikari excitedly. “Pleeeeeaaaase!?”

            Akane laughed at their large pleading eyes, “Yeah, you can come watch today. I figured I would keep you there anyway since it’s where we are going after this.”

             A chorus of cheers came from the siblings, some jumping up and down while the rest ran circles with their arms in the air. Hana giggled in the shallow water, splashing eagerly by stomping her feet. Haruto scooped her up into his arms, spinning her in the air before setting her back down. She squealed in delight, reaching her hands up in request for another spin. Akane hung up her last article of clothing, shuddering from a pleasant stray breeze over her back.

            “Big sis, come join us!” shouted Kosuke. “The sun is almost up and I really want a piggy back ride before we gotta leave!”

            “Ooh, ooh, me too!” chirped Tatsuo eagerly. “Please give me a piggy back ride too!”

            Akane nodded, stretching her arms out as she waltzed back over to the river, “Alright, alright, just let me wash my hair first.”

            She entered the water, diving beneath the surface to wet her hair rapidly. Bursting forth, she exclaimed gleefully to the peach colored skies, adoring the feeling of the water on her skin before washing her hair. She watched her siblings splash about in the meantime; Haruto, Hikari, and Kurenai held onto Hana in the shallower portion of the river while Midori, Kosuke, and Tatsuo drifted into the deeper sections courageously. A devious idea came to her mind once she rinsed her hair.

Silently, she slipped under the water, stalking close to Kosuke beneath the surface before catching his legs and lifting him up with her as she resurfaced. Kosuke howled with glee, giggling when she set him on her shoulders and swam around in large circles. Midori and Tatsuo tried to chase after her, Tatsuo occasionally insisting it was his turn for a ride.

            Eventually, Akane traded which male was on her shoulders, spinning around and around until they were dizzy and dipping under water again. She started a splash fight with Midori, mock wrestled Haruto and Hikari in the water simultaneously, then waded in the shallows with Hana, making sure each sibling was endlessly tittering before the sun was halfway over the horizon. When the noisy cock crowed from the farms nearby, that was their sign to start heading out before others would start walking about.

            “Come on li’l ones, time to go.” Akane announced. “Get your clothes on, they’ll finish drying on the way to the gym.”

            “Yes ma’am.” Replied the majority, slowly making their way to their hanging clothes as they shook off droplets of water.

            Akane took Hana in her arms, helping her dress while making a head count of her siblings. Haruto and Hikari were trading clothes once again, though it didn’t matter since they tried to match clothing to the best of their ability despite being opposite gender. Kurenai and Kosuke were distracted by a frog, poking at it with a stick while snickering until Akane yapped at them to put their clothes on again. Tatsuo was struggling to get his shirt on over his head since it was still wet, stumbling around the ground humorously in his endeavor. Midori was… not in sight, however.

            “Oy! Midori!” Akane called out for her roguish sister, assuming she was hiding nearby as she usually tended to do. “Come out here!”

            Was that a splash she just heard? Fastening Hana’s first two buttons, Akane searched the river for her sibling, mildly irked that she hadn’t obeyed her request. The gym required over a half hours walk from there.

            “Midori!” She shouted a bit louder in a scolding tone. “Come out and get dressed!”

            When there was no response, Akane felt her stomach drop, eyes widening. There was another splash, fainter than the previous, but enough for Akane to notice the small hand of her little sister waving frantically. She was running into the water without a second thought, screaming for her siblings to stay on the shore as she dove into the river where she remembered seeing the waving hand. Her arms reached out to Midori anxiously, grabbing the girl by the waist and pulling her forcefully in an attempt to surface her. Midori didn’t budge, but the young girl grasped at Akane desperately, showing vague proof that she was still alive, but in trouble. She gestured down frantically, panic clear in her movements in her cry for assistance. Her foot was wedged in a broken decaying log, cutting into her leg each time she tried to pull free.

            Akane could barely see in the murky water, relying on touch to figure out how to save her sister from drowning. She clawed at the log, splinters stabbing into her fingers and under her nails. Midori continued to try and wrench her foot out, but it wasn’t difficult to tell that she was weakening from the lack of oxygen. There was no telling how long she had been stuck, and Akane couldn’t understand how she managed to get stuck in the first place. Her fingers were certainly bleeding after tearing at the log for what felt like forever before Midori’s body suddenly slumped over, her final breath escaping with a cough. Akane reached up to shake her, highly aware that her consciousness was fading away. Midori was drowning.

            Hysterical and losing oxygen herself, Akane wrapped her arms around the girl and pulled again, using the log as best as she could as firm placement for her feet. By the third tug, a large portion broke under the pressure, but she accomplished freeing Midori, dragging her up to the surface for air. Each of the siblings shouted for them, coaxing them to the shore and surrounding them once Akane kicked her way to the riverside, coughing up water and sucking in air. Midori laid limp on the ground where she was set, unmoving.

            “No, Midori!” Akane climbed over her and shook her body, putting her ear to her chest in search of a heartbeat. “Midori, breathe!”

            “Midori!” Hikari and Haruto fell at her side, one grabbing her hand while the other shook her arm. “Please wake up Midori!”

            Kurenai and Kosuke wailed in dread, sitting at her legs as they trembled with large tears falling over their cheeks. Tatsuo cried behind Akane, more confused about what was happening with his sister than understanding it, while Hana clung to his hip sucking her thumb and whimpering. Everyone screamed Midori’s name, begging her to wake up, to breathe, to come back. Akane began CPR on her, palms rhythmically compressing the girls’ chest in a frenzied attempt to resuscitate her. The cuts on her fingers gushed blood with each compression, seeping over her chest.

It all happened so quickly, one moment Midori was playing with them all, and in the next minute she wasn’t breathing as her family encircled her, praying for her life as they waited helplessly for Akane to fix the issue. Akane always fixed the problem, she always bandaged their wounds, she kissed the bruises and made it all better, she fed them when they were hungry, hugged them when they cried, comforted them from their nightmares…

            _Big sister always fixed the problem_.

            “Midori!!” Akane’s voice broke as tears threatened to fall, the chest compressions intensifying in strength while losing rhythm. “Don’t die Midori!! Open your eyes!!”

            She tried mouth to mouth, switching back and forth between the two as she slowly began to lose her composure. A scream escaped her mouth, the tears flooding her vision when Midori wasn’t budging. Her hands closed into fists as she began to strike Midori’s chest, demanding that she breathe, that she open her eyes, for God to spare her life.

            It wasn’t fair.

_Don’t go_ …

_Please don’t go Midori!_

“MIDORI!!!”

Akane’s blows deteriorated as she withered over her sister, the tears falling onto her delicate face. All the siblings were howling to the skies, clinging to their sister, unable to accept that she was _gone_. How could she leave them? How could big sister not save her?

            Yet amidst the screams, a voice rang out. Through blurry vision, Akane saw someone running towards them, prying the twins from Midori’s arm gently, before pushing her off, then acting on the unconscious girls’ body with steadfast chest compressions and resuscitations. Akane nearly beat the living daylights out of the figure that shoved her back, but Kurenai was clinging to her arm, preventing her from doing so.

            Seconds felt like painful hours, each sibling sobbing as they waited with stilled breath. Akane sat there, trying to blink her tears away to see the stranger. She vaguely recognized him by his stature… Before she had a chance to fully clear her vision, she heard a gasp followed by retching coughs. Midori was pulled up into a sitting position by the hero, and she vomited up water, greedily gulping in air every chance she could while he patted her back soothingly.

            Alive.

            Midori was alive.

            “Midori!” Akane pulled her younger sister against her chest tightly despite her continued coughs and wheezes. “Oh Midori, thank god!”

            “Midori!!”

            Haruto, Hikari, Kurenai, Kosuke, Tatsuo, and Hana pounced on their revived sister, nuzzling her as they cried with relief. The sprightly female gazed around, mildly disordered over what had happened to her and why she was being smooshed against her older sisters’ bare breasts when all she wanted to do was breathe. Her ankles stung while her lungs burned, and her chest was speckled with blood somehow. She longed for rest.

            Akane addressed the stranger as she kept Midori close against her, rubbing her back comfortingly. She could hardly believe it when she recognized him as the exact same person who helped her the day before.

            …What… was his name again? Nick? Nathan?

            “Mister, sir!” Haruto turned to face him, bowing in gratitude, tears continuing to stream down his face. “Thank you for saving my sister!”

            He shook his head, “I only happened to be running along the riverside when I saw you all. I just did what was necessary.”

            “W-we have nothing to give you sir…” said Hikari softly. “But we are really happy you came when you did. Th-thank you… so much.”

            “Ah, I don’t need anything! I’m just glad your sister is okay now.” His eyes scanned over each of them, locking with Akane’s last. “Lucky for me, I even found you again Akane!”

            Haruto, Hikari, and Kurenai looked surprised by his statement. They glanced back at Akane questioningly, requiring answers as to how they knew each other. Akane was too occupied to offer a reply, lifting Midori into her arms and taking her to the river to wash off the blood and vomit, then guiding her to the tree where their clothing hung, so they squinted up at the man that saved their sister.

            “How do you know big sis?” Haruto inquired. “Who are you?”

            “My name is Nekomaru Nidai.” He introduced to the younglings. “I’m known as the ultimate manager! I helped Akane out yesterday from some guy and gave her food to eat.”

            “That was your food!?” Hikari gasped, eyes sparkling with hungry recollection. “Th-thank you! You’re so nice! You’re like… a guardian angel!”

            Nekomaru scratched the back of his head bashfully, “Well… thank you.” He rose to his feet, checking on Akane and Midori. The ultimate gymnast had only got Midori’s shirt on before she was hugging her again, shoulders quivering. He didn’t miss the blood dripping over Midori’s left foot or from Akane’s cut fingers, but he would allow them a moment of respite after such an experience.

            “Hey, don’t stare at big sis’ boobies!” barked Haruto, swatting the tall man’s arm boldly despite only reaching his hip.

            “Wh-what?” Nekomaru had to do a double take to understand what the boy was even saying. Once he finally grasped the fact that Akane had been naked this entire time, his cheeks darkened with red. How on earth had he managed to miss that? He turned away, choosing to stare at the kids instead. “I… honestly didn’t even notice that.”

            For children that were bawling their eyes out a minute ago, they certainly recovered quickly from the ordeal, beginning to snicker to each other.

            “Look! He’s blushing!” commented Hikari, covering her mouth to laugh less obnoxiously.

            “Blussing!” Hana tried to repeat, clapping her hands together.

            Nekomaru grimaced, trying to sound threatening, “I am not!”

            “Yes, you are!” bolstered Tatsuo.

            “Am not!” Nekomaru insisted.

            “Are too!” shouted the twins.

            “Am not!!”

            “Are too!”

            Nekomaru sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. There was no winning against a bunch of kids insisting the same thing. When together on the same idea, children were indestructible. He stared down at them, eyes narrowing on the youngest boy who unexpectedly had a stick in his hand ready to swing at him. A side step was all that was necessary to avoid getting his leg whacked.

            “What!?” Tatsuo’s large brown eyes gawked up at him. “How did you move so fast?”

            And just like that, he had impressed all of them, “I’m supposed to be fast. I need to keep up with my athletes.”

            “I bet Akane could kick your ass!” bragged Haruto. “She’s the fastest and the strongest person in the whole wide world!”

            “If she ever challenges me, I will gladly take her on.” Nekomaru guaranteed. “But you should get her and your sister to the hospital to take care of their wounds first.”

            Haruto nervously looked at his twin sister, his demeanor changing in a split second. Hikari bit her lower lip, folding her hands behind her back and responded, “We can’t afford going to the hospital. Our family is poor.”

            Nekomaru flinched, a feeling of pity coming over him. He scanned each of the siblings vexed expressions, unable to believe that they could be such a close-knit family with bright eyes despite their situation. They were lucky to have each other, but he could only imagine the stress they experienced anytime someone became ill or badly injured. His own family could barely afford the multiple heart surgeries he had to have when he was younger… and he dealt with that alone for many years.

            “Alright, I’ll help you guys out.” He offered, grinning when they gave him curiously encouraged gazes. “Give me one second.”

            He reached back, pulling a white towel that he always kept tucked in his pants for various needs. Today, it would be a mock bandage until he could get Akane and her sister something better. He began to tear the towel into strips, four in total, making his way to the sisters while the rest followed curiously. Akane had finished buttoning her shirt up, leaving the top two open as usual for the sake of breathing room, when she acknowledged Nekomaru’s approach.

            Midori scampered in front of him, a limp in her step. She bowed courteously, “Excuse me, thank you sir, for saving my life today.”

            Nekomaru knelt down to her level, setting a large hand on her shoulder, “Glad to help. Now, if you take a seat real quick, I’ll wrap up that ankle for you to stop the bleeding a little.”

            “Okay!” She flopped down on the ground, extending her ankle out.

            Nekomaru carefully wrapped her tiny foot, securing it by folding the last piece into a wrapped section. The white towel stained with crimson in a few spots, but seemed to hold up well. Midori cheered, throwing her flip flops on with a glee filled smile. Her siblings began to praise his work, jumping for joy. Akane, however, simply stared him down.

            “Let me wrap your hands up.” He offered, the remaining three strips slung over his shoulder.

            “You don’t have to help us you know.” Akane murmured.

            His eyes searched hers. He knew that look; one of independence and anticipation. As the oldest of the siblings, she was used to handling everything by herself. It was rather common in athletes who believed they didn’t need help in their training. They were either apprehensive toward him, or completely dismissive if not accepting.

            He nodded, “Maybe so, but I’m still willing to offer it.”

            She lowered her gaze hesitantly, but held up one of her hands in defeat. Nekomaru noticed a multitude of splinters jutting from her skin and beneath her nails, deciding to pull out what he could before wrapping her bloodied fingers. Akane infrequently hissed in pain, but didn’t try to stop him. She hardly said much compared to her siblings who introduced themselves and complimented Nekomaru’s large muscles and friendly behavior. They thanked him for the rice balls and asked if they could have more, earning a strict glare from Akane. Nekomaru only laughed though, stating he would gladly make some more for them if they ever visited.

            Once her hands were wrapped, Akane insisted their departure as soon as she could, particularly embarrassed from all the help she had received. It was a weird feeling, but she didn’t hate it. She just hated how weak it made her feel. Nekomaru stopped her again, noticing that the bandages on her leg were missing. Of course, her siblings then saw the wound was more that some cut as he wrapped it back up, questioning what had happened to her. A swift and silent glare from her got them to drop the question eventually. She was so ready to go home and take a long nap…

            “Hey big sis, are we still going to the gym? I’m thirsty!”

            …Damn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing my best to update as much as I can before I start working. Yaaaaaaay. So when updates slow down, you'll all know I'm starting my suffering :')


	5. Chapter 5

            No matter how much she insisted her well-being… No matter how much she asserted she could take care of her family and herself… No matter how many times she swore that he should _seriously go home_ … Akane could not change that Nekomaru wanted to travel with the group so he could take care of their injuries better at the gym. The man was either absolutely oblivious to her assertive tone, or was ignoring it on purpose. Either way, it had Akane irritated that he didn’t get the clue. She had given up after Kosuke and Tatsuo began to admire his every action, calling him ‘cool’ and ‘so amazing’, and Nekomaru would just laugh every time.

            Damn that white tank top wearing, muscle flexing, magnanimous bastard for getting her siblings to enjoy his company in a meager five minutes. How did he know her siblings’ happiness was her one weakness aside from hunger?

            Her fists would have been clenched the entire time if it didn’t hurt like hell to do so. She escorted the ragtag group, disregarding the multitude of stares from people stupefied by their march through the shabby town. Moreover, they were inspecting Nekomaru, an outcast from the small habitation just based on his cleaner looking clothing and evident muscular build. Not to mention he was surrounded by boisterous children running circles around him like a new plaything, lead by the busty woman every man drooled over whenever she walked by. He was more than capable of keeping up with the children somehow, and hell, he was remembering each of their names far more easily than Akane could dare to remember his singular one!

            Kurenai, oh sweet little Kurenai, always noticed her low moods and stuck by her side like glue to keep her pacified and mildly sane. Her empathy at the age of six was impossible to fully comprehend. Akane gave her head a loving stroke, straightening herself up for the sake of her kind-hearted little sister. She held her hand the rest of the way, listening to the noise behind her meticulously. Her gut still told her that whatever-his-name-was, could be trusted.

            Speaking of which… what the hell was his name?

            “Kurenai,” Akane avoided eye contact with her sister, unwilling to see the disappointment in her face when she asked her question. “Was his name Nicholas or something like that?”

            “No, it’s Nekomaru Nidai!” Kurenai reprimanded, her hand squeezing slightly.

            “At least I was close…” Akane sighed in defeat. “I knew it started with the letter ‘N’ but I just couldn’t remember.”

            “You’re always bad with names big sis.” Kurenai noted. “But that’s okay. We can remember his name for you.”

            “Heh, thanks.”

            Akane heard her siblings laugh uproariously, glancing back to see that Nekomaru had Kosuke and Tatsuo dangling from his arms, Hana holding onto his leg, and Midori clinging to his back. Haruto and Hikari danced around him, singing some childish song they learned in school. It was rather amusing to watch Nekomaru trudge along to their song, keeping the brothers lifted, while simultaneously moving carefully for little Hana to remain on his shin. Akane didn’t admit it out loud, but it was kind of adorable to witness the joy on her siblings faces in that moment.

            “Hey, big sis…” Kurenai tugged on her hand for attention, staring up at her with large eyes. “Nekomaru is really nice. He’s really different from the men you usually have to talk to.”

            The ultimate gymnast didn’t respond, but hearing her sisters comment made her wonder. Normally by this time, she was either trying to escape from a man’s grabby hands, or was struck to the ground and forced to defend herself. Unconsciously, her gaze drifted backwards again. Now Nekomaru was slowly spinning in circles as he danced along to the twins’ song, and each of her siblings were cheering him on to spin faster. He remained at the same speed, probably aware that he didn’t want to risk getting dizzy and falling over. For such a large man, he was incredibly gentle with the children.

            “Well… after today, we probably won’t get to see him again.” Akane mumbled, earning a somber countenance from Kurenai.

            “Don’t say that!” She responded defiantly. “I bet… we’ll get to see him a lot! He’s gonna become a super close friend I bet.”

            Once again, Akane didn’t respond, pinching her lips together to keep herself from hurting Kurenai’s feelings. Kurenai was young so she just didn’t get it. People like Nekomaru… they never stuck around to become friends with the likes of them. Sure, he was being nice to them, but even he would grow bored of them eventually. Still… she would never bring herself to say such a thing to hurt her siblings’ feelings.

 ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

            The gym eventually came into sight when Haruto lead the charge inside to get clean water to drink at the fountains. Midori struggled to keep up with a limp in her step, so Akane had planned to carry her inside if Nekomaru didn’t get to it first. He lifted her with ease, earning his billionth thank you in the hour as he took her inside. Akane questioned the bitter feeling in her heart seeing how happy he managed to make her brothers and sister feel. She wished he would stop before he broke their hearts when they never crossed paths again.

While she was admittedly grateful for his sudden appearance in Midori’s crisis, there was no need for him to stick around any longer. She sauntered inside the building, heading straight to the main floor where the gymnastics equipment waited to be practiced on. A few other gymnasts were already at work with their routines on the floor and uneven bars, one or two of them vaguely addressing Akane with silent glances of disdain. None of them had been particularly fond of her since her random appearance, and their scorn only increased when she won the first small match-up with hardly any training under a manager.

            Akane tested her pain tolerance regarding her hands, wincing each time her hands closed into fists or stretched out too much. She convinced herself she could handle a short made up routine without hurting her hands excessively. Besides, if she could remember correctly, the next competition was in less than a week and she didn’t have much of a routine set up for it. In her ever so humble opinion anyway, practice was monotonous and expended too much energy. Plus, she hated how much she got stared at by the other females competing with her.

            Heading to the balance beam, Akane was prepared to jump onto the skinny beam if she didn’t get griped at by one of the girls’ coaches.

            “Go put on a leotard before you start flashing all of us in that skirt!”

            Akane gave her a rigid glare, grumbling to herself as she stomped away to the dressing rooms. She loathed those scanty tight one pieces with the passion of a thousand suns. They were embarrassing to wear, and frankly they revealed more than what she was already wearing. Why couldn’t they all just perform naked? It would be less restricting and she wouldn’t have to feel even more self-conscious about her appearance. She had been given a light blue one by a judge the first time she went to a competition, probably because they realized she simply couldn’t afford one.

            In the locker room, she ignored the gossip of the other females dressing for their own rehearsals, grabbing her leotard from a corner locker that no one thankfully seemed to go near. Shamelessly, she stripped down, tossing her semi-dry clothes into the locker then slipping on her worst nightmare in the form of a skimpy one piece. It took her all of her willpower to not yell in distress from how constricted the damn thing was, or how exposed she thought her butt was, tugging at the layers over her rear begrudgingly. She shuffled out of the room awkwardly, despising the feeling of her crushed breasts secured much too snuggly, and not missing the chortles of the other women mocking her clumsy appearance.

            The tiled floor was cold against her bare feet as she walked through the halls, hands set on her hips as she walked forward. She made sure to shoot a haughty glance at the coach that told her to dress appropriately, making her way to the balance beam again. Unfortunately, it was currently occupied by someone else.

            More specifically, by the all-around blonde bitch Mirai, her self-proclaimed rival. Akane would have walked away to prevent a scene if she wasn’t called out by her, always eager to try and one-up her in something.

            “What do you want this time Mirai?” She groaned cantankerously.

            “Well, excuse me for actually caring about those nasty looking wounds on your hands and leg.” Mirai scoffed. “You really should go get that checked out.”

            “No need.” Akane claimed. “I just threw some dirt and spit on it, and voila, all better.”

            She was very satisfied to see the momentary disgust cross Mirai’s expression at the mention of spit, unable to stop the smirk that grew over her lips. Mirai rolled her eyes, “Well, whatever, if you seriously want to get an infection, be my guest. It will give me one less person to deal with next competition.”

            “What, scared you’ll lose again?” mocked Akane.

            “You wish.” Mirai hissed at her. “This time, you’ll be bowing before me. I’ll strip you of your so-called ‘ultimate’ title before you get a single flip in. It’s not like you deserved it in the first place.”

            Akane snickered to herself, her laugh increasing in volume as she entered a fit of chuckles and giggles. Mirai glared at her, perched high on the balance beam when she snapped her fingers loudly. Oh joy, Akane thought, her little goons were going to come and look threatening as they surrounded them for some stupid gymnastics dance off again. She experienced this dilemma twice before, and won both times hands down with such ease that she was yawning halfway through. It would be a good warm up before training.

            Mirai flipped off the balance beam, sticking the landing easily on flat feet directly in front of the still giggling Akane and throwing her hands into the air stylishly in flashy form. The girls around them cheered for her, bragging about her improved abilities that would totally wipe the floor from under Akane. The bronze-skinned woman wiped a tear from her eye with the towel over her fingers, confidently lifting herself back up as she began to remove the bloodied wrappings from her fingers. Mirai cringed in repulsion, “Gross! You couldn’t keep those on!?”

            “Nope,” Akane purred, tossing the rags aside and flexing each digit delicately to prevent herself from noticeably flinching before the others. “They’ll hold me back from kickin’ your ass.”

            The girls around them gasped at her bold proclamation, clearly offended. Such girly girls they were, incapable of handling her brash decisive words without some high-pitched gasp of horror. How pathetic.

            “I hope you’re ready Owari.” Mirai deviously sneered. “I’ll be challenging you to the balance beam this time. Try to not fall off and embarrass yourself.”

            “Yeah, yeah.” Akane scratched at her ear, apathetic to everything she was hearing at this rate. “Just get going already, you’re putting me to sleep.”

            Mirai spun around on her toes, moving to the middle of the balance beam with long strides emphasized by walking on her toes. She normally had to balance on the thin bar for about a minute and a half, performing various tricks and flips without stumbling or falling off, but they only needed thirty seconds to try and prove themselves as the better gymnast in the moment. The bar had always been Mirai’s specialty, based on how often Akane would see her walking about on it performing handstands and front flips whenever she usually wanted to use it. The ultimate gymnast crossed her arms, watching her with immense disinterest as her friends observed from behind her uncomfortably close.

            Mirai grabbed the beam, hoisting herself onto it to get into a sitting position. She posed enticingly, arms stretching out behind her before she rolled back onto her hands, flipping onto her feet and earning applauds from her hoodlum allies. Akane mentally prepared herself to hear nothing but endless ovations for the remaining time she had to endure watching Mirai, but she stayed focused on the girl fiercely, absorbing every move she executed with one purpose in mind. Mirai bounded into the air, legs spreading wide for a graceful split leap followed by a front walkover to reach the edge of the beam. She glanced at Akane, smirking arrogantly as she did a backwards somersault, knees tucking in briefly before extending back out to catch her balance once more. Akane didn’t miss the slight wobble in her landing, nor the quick move to try and make it appear as though she hadn’t messed up with a cartwheel forward. The poor girl was desperate to do better, but what she didn’t know was that she had already lost.

            Mirai swayed her body to nothing, remaining graceful and composed in her smooth dance backwards to the other side of the beam, preparing for her descent. She hopped once, cartwheeled twice, and pushed off with a double rotating flip, landing shakily on the mat below before throwing her hands up in proper landing position. Her friends squealed with enchantment, scurrying over to her and embracing her like a bunch of excited childish girls. Akane shook her head, making her way to the balance beam wordlessly. The number of mistakes Mirai had made would get her a bronze at most in competition.

            “Let’s see you try to beat that.” Mirai bragged. “I doubt you can, not with those torn up hands and leg. You should just give up now.”

            Akane’s gray eyes locked onto her emerald ones long enough to shut her up. Small wounds and splinters weren’t going to keep her from proving her wrong once again. She looked over the balance beam a few times.

            “Uh, aren’t you gonna dust your hands with chalk?” asked one of the girls.

            “Nope,” Akane denied. “However, I will show you how to do all that stuff you just did, the right way. You made like… six mistakes.”

            Mirai and her friends scoffed at her, but she only grinned with triumph, grabbing the beam and flipping onto it. Akane didn’t lie about showing them how to perform everything correctly. She re-enacted every piece Mirai had completed, from the splits to the flips and even to the weird dance, all fulfilled without a single mistake. However, two things became very clear from the entire routine.

            First, it was very mundane and casual. There was nothing fun about it or even remotely exciting in Akane’s opinion. She almost believed it could have been done with her eyes closed halfway through it.

            Secondly, she wished she had kept the bandages on her fingers, as they instantly began to bleed again the moment she pulled herself onto the beam. Speckles of her blood dotted along the balance beam, and dripped from her fingers once again. Mirai and her friends didn’t seem to notice gratefully, and she longed to keep it that way until she at least finished the final descent. They were all too amazed to pay attention to anything else except her.

            She was at the final step when she heard her siblings gather into the gym area, immediately noticing their older sister at work and making their way towards her with excited rambling. Nekomaru’s voice shouted out as well, confirming her brief curiosity on whether he followed them or not. Her focus remained steadfast on her current mission, eager to prove herself yet again to her irritating opponent. She heard Midori cheer her on, her voice oddly close for just having emerged into the area. The charge began, Akane hopping once into the air though it sent a sharp pain burning through her leg, cartwheeling twice though it officially hurt her fingers to bend them, then…

            …Slipping?

            Akane felt the world enter a slow-motion state as her foot slid over a few large specks of blood  and sweat in preparation to act on her triple rotating backflip just to rub the salt in the exposed wound of Mirai’s ego a little more, but instead she was falling head first to the ground, tailbone probably going to strike the end of the balance beam as well. Mirai had jumped away with the others to avoid the collision entirely, a high-pitched shriek escaping her mouth once she realized Akane was crashing to the ground. She shut her eyes, prepared for a major headache if not a concussion once she landed.

            But… she never did.

            Rather, she felt like she was being embraced tightly by pure muscle around her legs and arms. Akane had believed she had a body that was a mass of muscles, but this trumped her physique by a long shot. Her eyes fluttered open, searching for the answers she required in her confusion of not crashing, but being rescued by…

            Who else than that damn white tank top wearing, muscle flexing, magnanimous bastard.

            “Y-you?” Akane gazed up at him, amazed that he had managed to reach her so promptly after he had only recently arrived as well.

            His eyes were filled with concern over her well-being, but she didn’t miss the hint of displeasure that raged like fire in his scowl.

            “Oh, my god, you totally almost died.” cheeped Mirai, her voice still disrespectful despite Akane’s nearly tragic fall. “But lucky for you, Coach Nekomaru saved your sorry ass.”

            “That’s enough Mirai,” scolded Nekomaru, shooting an icy side glance at the girl and her friends, rendering them silent. “You should be ashamed of yourself. I hope your talent isn’t as shitty as your sportsmanship next competition.” He tossed a white rag at her feet, gesturing to the sweat and blood covered equipment behind him. “Clean up the balance beam while I take Akane to the medical room.”

            Mirai never looked more mortified than she did in that moment as Nekomaru stalked away from them with Akane in his hold. She would have snickered at the blondes’ imprudent expression if she wasn’t so humiliated herself, ducking her head when her siblings rushed up to them, inquiring on her welfare. Falling off a balance beam in front of so many people when you were supposed to be ‘ultimate’ at everything gymnastics? That was simply disgraceful.

            But being saved twice by the exact same guy in different situations?

            That was absolutely undignified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's hard describing gymnastic moves. Kudos to anyone who can do it. .-.


	6. Chapter 6

            Akane refused to acknowledge Nekomaru as he bandaged her fingers again, resorting to staring at her knees bitterly as she chewed on her lower lip to keep herself from growling about Mirai’s wonderfully bitchy attitude. Her siblings were packed in the small room, shuffling in place out of either boredom or they were too nervous to speak up since no one else was. Even Nekomaru wasn’t saying anything, but she was honestly pleased that he didn’t bombard her with criticism or concern, certain that she would have shouted at him or resorted to her fists silencing him. She was enraged, from messing up, from embarrassing herself, from having to sit and wait for her stupid fingers to be taken care of, it all infuriated her. If her siblings weren’t there, she would have surely blown up already.

            It took about a half hour for Nekomaru to finish wrapping up her fingers after plucking out the remaining splinters and applying medicinal gauze to each digit carefully. She wasn’t going to admit that it felt so much better afterwards. He leaned back in his wheeled chair, stretching out his arms with a long yawn.

            “Well, there you go.” He said simplistically. “Don’t remove the wrappings for a couple days, and try to use your hands less than usual.”

            Akane only clicked her tongue in response, now eyeballing each finger disdainfully. Seeing that her older sister wasn’t planning on showing her appreciation, Kurenai stepped in quickly, bowing to Nekomaru, “Um, thank you again, Mr. Nekomaru, sir. We’re really glad you helped us out so much today.”

            The rest chimed in their gratitude as well, and Nekomaru grinned, resting a hand on Kurenai’s head, “You’re welcome. Take care of your sister, will you?”

            Akane jolted at the statement, eyes narrowing furiously on the ultimate manager, “That’s not necessary. I can take care of myself and my family.”

            He lifted an eyebrow at her, potentially mocking her as light seemed to spark in his eyes. “Is that so? I don’t doubt it based on what I have seen so far, but it would be foolish of you to worsen your injuries unless you don’t want to enter the competition.”

            “What did you say?” snarled Akane, jumping off the table she sat on. She stood a few inches over Nekomaru when he was sitting, setting a fist into her palm aggressively.

            Kurenai backed away, glancing between the two adults with her brothers and sisters nervously, “W-wait, big sis, don’t – “

            “I’m entering that competition no matter what!” Akane snapped, fire raging in her spirit. “I’ll kick Mirai’s ass at gymnastics and win the money, and my injuries won’t stop me from a damn thing! They won’t even stop me from facing you right now.”

            Nekomaru stared her down, the air growing tense. He was certainly intrigued, waiting for her to make the first move against him, lips curving into a cunning smile. It was a phenomenal feeling that Akane had yearned to have for such a long time; the intensity of someone who was worth challenging. She had sensed it before in him when they first encountered each other, but now every inch of her body screamed for combat.

            There was no way she would disappoint herself.

            Her fist flew out at Nekomaru’s face, so fast that her siblings reacted quite late to her attack only because Nekomaru had caught it in his palm. His shit-eating grin was unbearable as she went to kick his arm to escape, but he caught her leg in his other hand just as easily. He tossed her back onto the table, her head thumping against the wall. Akane scowled, but she was nowhere near finished with him. If anything, he added fuel to her scorching fire.

            With a shout, Akane leapt of the table, bring her leg down on Nekomaru… who simply slid to the side to avoid her. By the gods, he was taunting her to death. It was only serving to piss her off even more. She dashed at him, striking her forearm with his before swinging out her leg again, certain she had him this time. How sorely wrong she was, feeling a sharp pain bloom over her abdomen as Nekomaru’s fist struck her in an uppercut empowered by him getting out of the chair. Akane choked on her own breath, her back slamming into a cabinet side, rattling the contents it held violently if not breaking a few. She grabbed at her stomach, wheezing for air as she regarded Nekomaru with bitter eyes.

            He won.

            “Big sis!” Her siblings scampered over to her quivering body, surrounding her protectively. Tatsuo stood at the front as though he was prepared to fight the manager next.

            “That’s enough Akane.” Nekomaru spoke up eventually, his shoulders relaxing. “You’ll only get yourself hurt if you continue this.”

            “Sh-shut up…” She scowled, shakily getting back onto her feet. Her fingers pulsed with irritation, bleeding through the bandages.

            “Listen well,” Nekomaru advised kindly, a different look about him. “When you recover completely, you can come face me again. I respect your abilities, they just need some work. The first time you tried to kick me when we first met was a lot faster than your moves now, but that’s because you’re in pain. I know there’s a lot more to experience in battling you, Akane, but for now I recommend swallowing your pride and going home.”

            She never stopped glaring at him, but the tension in her body eased as well, “Fine. But know this: I’ll beat you next time old man.”

            His smirk assured her that he would be ready for it whenever the day would come. It was a nice sensation to have despite the simmering anger still boiling within her. She moved past him briskly, her siblings following behind. While she said nothing more, she could faintly hear the younger girls thank Nekomaru again for his help, albeit a little half-heartedly compared to previous times, while the boys were simply amazed that their older sister was beaten in combat. Strangely enough, it wasn’t as upsetting as she thought it was going to be. Instead, she felt thrilled to have found someone that she could strive to defeat.

            Nekomaru Nidai…

            Akane didn’t plan to forget his name anytime soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter than usual, but hopefully it was still alright! Updates might start to slow down, as I just got a job. Yaaaaaaaaay...


	7. Chapter 7

It had been three days since Akane last saw Nekomaru in the gym, purposely avoiding the place mainly because she didn’t want to hear Mirai’s voice as she mocked her for her recent failure. That and she didn’t want to get disqualified for throat punching her “accidently”. She was putting the children to bed after another long day of waitress labor, being asked way too many times about what happened to her fingers and leg, and earning a decent amount in tips that she used to purchase sushi for everyone. They were so excited to have one of their favorite meals, promising to grow big and strong so they could repay Akane someday for everything she had done for them. She rustled each of their heads, simply thankful to see them eat another good meal, before offering some to her stepmother who returned home alone for the first time in weeks. Though confused by her unusual generosity, she accepted, staggering away to the crappy couch to eat alone before falling asleep.

            Akane leaned against the door frame, watching her siblings rest as she ran a comb through her tangled hair. The competition was only two days away, and she had failed to even consider preparing a routine. She needed to practice, despite her lack of wanting to, and if that meant sneaking into the gym when they were closed, she would take advantage of the option since there weren’t any freaks staying the night to threaten the little ones’ safety. Another advantage of going at night meant she didn’t have to wear her leotard since no one would see her. She slipped outside, careful to not disturb her family, and raced off to the gym. Wandering the streets alone at night were far more dangerous than during the day, but there were usually less people to deal with thankfully. However, less people didn’t make it better by a long shot.

            Akane relied on her instinctual feelings on which shadowed streets to avoid on her way, arriving at the gymnasium safely. She made her way to the back; the owners had a bad reputation of forgetting to lock the back entrance as she had found out many months ago on an investigative night stroll. Sneaking her way inside after checking if the coast was cleared, Akane navigated her way through the dark halls, listening to the soft clomps of her white shoes on the tiled floors while her fingers traced over the walls. Oddly enough, she could see light pour from where she undoubtedly recalled the gym being, the path easier to follow. While the owners tended to forget to lock the back door, they never forgot to turn off the lights at least. She peeked around the corner, finding the room empty.

            Maybe she was overthinking things since the lights were on, but she swore someone was in the building somewhere. It was a gamble she was willing to take if it meant getting at least a short routine in mind. She flexed her fingers, grinning when it didn’t hurt her intolerably to perform the action.

Kicking off her shoes, Akane sprinted forward, barreling into a series of cartwheels and flips on her excursion to the main floor. Acrobatic gymnastics weren’t difficult to perform, Akane simply hated the monotonous routine put into them. She was guilty of changing up her act last minute sometimes, and while it had an impressive quality to it according to the judges, they seemed to recognize the unpredictability of it as well. All she had to do was win and take home easy money, that’s all that mattered. Every part of it came naturally to her, the balance and flexibility, the agility and refinement. Sometimes she couldn’t understand how the other females struggled with some of the moves, and while she might have been willing to offer her advice to them, no one seemed to appreciate her appearance in the first place.

Akane did a mid-air split, falling into a cartwheel that merged into a double backflip to the other corner of the floor. She continued her practice for some time, probably a single hour of boring repetition until she was satisfied enough to move on to the balance beam. That routine took less time; she more or less repeated the moves she copied from Mirai during their small head butting competition, but revised it into a way that she found to be better than the original. Next was the uneven bars, requiring many flips and rotations while jumping from bar to bar carefully. She disliked this contest the most since it was the most monotonous of all the performances requiring core strength and arm strength mainly. Akane lost interest in the practice rather quickly, her stomach growling, her will to continue decreasing.

Flipping onto the mat, she flopped down spread eagle with a sigh, giving in to her bodies wants. Her momentary rest was interrupted faster than she had a chance to take another breath as an all too familiar voice called out to her.

“Giving up already?”

Akane groaned, shifting her head with disinterest to view her spectator. She was rather impressed since she hadn’t noticed his presence somehow, but she was too hungry to care.

“Why do you care?” She grumbled, eyes locking onto the ultimate manager as he began to approach her from the shadowed hallway. “I’m hungry and tired, I need a break.”

“You just started.” Nekomaru remarked. “Besides, everything you just practiced was pathetic on your standards.”

“What!?” Akane had a spurt of energy at his comment, jumping onto her feet to glare at him closer than if she remained on the ground. “Shut up! I bet I did better than everyone else!”

“Just because you’ve been recognized as an ultimate gymnast doesn’t make you instantly better than the others who actually practice their move sets.” Nekomaru grunted, regarding her with dissatisfaction. “You won’t win the competition from skill alone.”

“Listen old man, I have won these things before, I can definitely win again. You’re better off helping Mirai or someone else, I don’t need it.”

“First of all, I’m pretty damn sure I’m as old as you are. Second of all, you’re not gonna win with those routines. I can’t force you to accept my help, Akane, but if you want to have a chance against Mirai this time, you should keep practicing these routines until they’re perfected.”

Akane gritted her teeth, disregarding about her hunger and exhaustion and replacing the feelings with aggravation. She swung out a fist, Nekomaru moving aside to avoid it easily. He stared at her inquisitively, not angry or even remotely upset by her unprovoked attack. She kicked out her leg, shouting with frustration when he ducked swiftly to dodge it, now grinning slightly at her attempts.

“What is with you?” Akane growled, keeping a defensive stance. “I don’t get you, you’ve been around me way too much lately! Do you really want to touch my boobs or something?”

Nekomaru felt his cheeks begin to burn, “Wh-what!? No! Why would I want to do that!?”

“Then what do you want with me?” The frustrated female asked. “You’re so damn persistent!”

“I only want to help you become the best gymnast, to get the fundamentals down so there is never any doubt on who is the true winner of every competition!” Nekomaru sincerely explained. “I’ve lead teams to victory when they started at the bottom, I’ve helped a baseball player get accepted into major leagues in middle school. I want to help you too, because I know there is something about you that can be enhanced, including your martial abilities! I can work out a plan for you, work with you on anything you need! And I am aware that you are doing this for the sake of your family.”

He paused when Akane’s eyes widened from him mentioning her siblings, her stance faltering progressively. “However, I can’t perform my duties as a manager if you do not wish to use me. That said, I will still be willing to assist you should you ever need it in the future. I’ll come running the day you require my aid.”

Nekomaru turned from her and stalked away, Akane staring after him, completely dumbfounded. How did he know this was for her siblings? They must have informed him at some point, they were never exactly ashamed to admit their troubles to others who seemed compassionate. She had always survived alone until now, no one extended benevolence to her or her siblings when they needed it. Her pride was getting the best of her even now, but it began to sting the longer she regarded Nekomaru’s backside. If he could ascertain her win… maybe she needed to let her barriers down for once and accept his offer.

“Wait,” She called to him, the word bitter on her tongue.

Nekomaru halted, glancing back at her and waiting.

“If you can help me do better in this, so I can always get the reward money, I’ll accept your help.” Akane bargained. “And if you can make me stronger, so I can beat you up someday, that would be an awesome bonus.”

Nekomaru laughed loudly, turning to face her completely once more, “Then it’s a deal. I’ll be your manager from now on, so don’t ever hold back on anything! We start your training right now.”

Akane deadpanned, “ _Now?_ But I’m so tired!”

“Not after I give you my special treatment.” claimed the boisterous male, cracking his fingers suddenly as he encouraged Akane to follow him. “Once I do ‘it’ to you, you’ll have boundless energy to keep you going for hours! Now then, let’s do this!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY HAD TIME TO WRITE SOMETHING. Dang work. I guess you can just expect updates at least once a week?


	8. Chapter 8

Akane had to revise the list of things in the world that made her happy after she got to experience the magic of Nekomaru’s fingers during a delightful session of what he simply titled as “it”. She had felt lighter than air and more energetic the moment he finished, a spring in her every step as she eagerly continued to practice with his unrelenting support. Her bandages were removed after a few flips and tricks, Nekomaru feeling confident that the wounds had recovered enough to be allowed on the equipment. Everything she did felt precise and confident, and somehow her new coach was able to keep everything interesting. He worked with her the entire night offering his words of wisdom to each of her move sets, until they were both too fatigued to even consider continuing any longer once Akane was growing dizzy from simple spins. They left before anyone else arrived to disapprove of their night time excursion.

Akane arrived home just as her siblings were waking up to the rising sun, her step-mother already absent from the shack for her pointless daily bar hopping experiences. As tired as the ultimate gymnast was, she had told herself she needed to take the little ones to the river for another bath. She would have to accept a short afternoon nap afterwards before going in for work. This time at the riverside, she kept her eyes on each of the youngsters as they played around the water, refusing to risk any chance of nearly losing anyone else after their previous experience. Nekomaru definitely wouldn’t be there to rescue them this time.

Kosuke and Tatsuo requested their typical piggy back ride halfway through the cleansing session, but she had to turn them down, rustling their heads when they gave her pleading eyes. They looked once at each other, lips pouting.

“But… you weren’t home last night.” Kosuke whimpered. “You leave all the time when mommy’s home alone.”

Akane’s eyes softened. She had not been aware that they were attentive of her disappearances each time they happened. “I’m sorry. I had some training to do at the gym.”

At her words, Tatsuo perked up, “Did you train with Nekomaru?”

Somehow, every one of her siblings heard the mentioning of the ultimate managers’ name despite whatever they were initially doing, scampering up the bank to surround her with raucous questioning of what she had been doing with Nekomaru.

“Did you beat him up?”

“Did he beat _you_ up!?”

“Was it considered a date?”

“Did you… kiss!??”

Akane flailed her arms in air, trying to silence them, “Guys, come on! He helped me out like a coach with some of my gymnastics training!”

A resounding and rather disappointed ‘oh’ echoed from each of the siblings, Hana following up with her typical babble of repeat. Akane shook her head, resting her chin on the palm of her hand as her elbow leaned on her thigh. If it wasn’t apparent before, there was no denying now that they were extremely fond of Nekomaru.

“Does that mean you have a routine for the small competition that’s coming up soon?” asked Hikari.

“That’s right.” Akane agreed with a bright and confident grin. “In one day, I’ll be going up against a handful of people again, but there’s no way I’ll lose to any of them with what I’ve got down.”

“Will you make a lot of money from this?” inquired Haruto excitedly. “Will we finally be able to move?”

Akane’s smile remained, but it lessened marginally, “Not yet li’l ones, but I promise we will find a better place the moment we can afford it with the money I make. If I remember right, the winner of this competition will get around $1,000, or something like that, but that money… will basically have to get me to the next contest, and you all know what that means.”

She hated seeing their expressions drop almost instantly with resentment and solemnity, eyes lowering to the ground. With participating in gymnastics, Akane sometimes had to travel far, which meant leaving them to fend for themselves for at least a few days. While she would try to stock up on food for them, she still despised leaving them behind. There was no way to protect them from others, no way to watch them, and it wounded her to see them somberly wave good-bye and wish her luck with lonesome voices. She felt that way just going to work sometimes after they experienced a bad day.

“Come on li’l ones, chin up, no tears.” Akane huddled them close to her, wrapping her arms around them as best as she could as Kurenai and Kosuke began to quiver with the threat of crying. “It will only take a few more contests, then I shouldn’t have to leave you guys alone in that crappy dump of a home.”

“It’s scary when you leave.” remarked Tatsuo.

“Momma always brings over creepy guys…” muttered Kurenai. “When you go, they get even scarier…”

“Perhaps it is scary, but I know you are all brave and strong kids.” Akane declared. “And you always know that if anything happens, I’ll come running and I will kill anyone who tries to hurt any of you.”

They nodded silently against her, all too aware that big sister always tried to protect them. She sighed softly, holding them a little tighter in a group hug. Everything would change for the better once she got the money to take care of them, to give them a life that was worth living without struggling or having to steal or deal with pedophiles and drunks on a near nightly basis. For now, they just had to survive a while longer. As she always did to try and comfort them, she rustled their hair affectionately, then lead them back home once they were clean. They napped with her despite receiving a full night’s rest, mainly wishing to be in her company before she had to leave for work.

Yet… for some reason Akane could not gather the respite she longed for. For the few hours she continuously drifted in and out of consciousness, she could not escape the raging sensation of unnatural dread that kept creeping into her gut feelings. No matter how much she tried to quell the feeling, she could not find an explanation for it. Her siblings were reluctant to let her leave for work, maybe they had an odd feeling about something too, but she simply comforted them again and promised she would be back that night. She forced herself to ignore her persistent uneasiness for the rest of the day as best as she could.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Akane left her shift early that night, unable to handle her irritating gut feelings as they increased in power throughout the day. They were never wrong, but she could not pinpoint what had her so riled up. She wasn’t nervous about the upcoming competition, she wasn’t too bothered by the customer that slapped her on the rear at work, but she didn’t comprehend what had her like this. Whatever it was, it had her running home and _that_ was what concerned her. Maybe her step-mother had an accident, or brought home someone stranger than usual. Maybe Hana got into something and was sick. Her legs moved faster on their own accord, racing through the streets, past the starving homeless families, past the wolf-whistlers until she could see her home…

That’s when her entire body clenched with sudden pain, sending her to the ground with a scream of agony. She wanted to vomit, stomach squeezing with unexplainable terror. Then, she heard the screams from her siblings; Haruto and Hikari wailing out, Midori screaming with anger, Kurenai calling her name desperately for help, Kosuke repeatedly shouting something she couldn’t quite make out through his shaking voice, Hana crying out with panic and fear. Tatsuo was not among the sounds.

Akane bolted to her feet, blinded with fear and panic as she busted into her home, eyes widening at the sight before her. She recognized the man almost instantly, the very one that had chased her so relentlessly through the streets before injuring her leg. Of all the people her step-mother could have found in those damn bars to bring home on a drunken night… it had to be him.

His hand was around Tatsuo’s throat, suffocating the boy whose face was a shade of blue desperate for air, his favorite stick on the ground under his dangling feet. Haruto was hitting his backside repeatedly, demanding his brothers release. Hikari was pulling at the arm holding Tatsuo, large tears falling over her face. Midori had bitten his other arm, his blood dripping over her chin as she sat paralyzed with terror against the wall she had likely been thrown against in retaliation. Kurenai held the crying Hana, standing by their unconscious mother while frantically staring at Akane as she screamed at her for help. Kosuke continued to shout, his words now loud and clear as he begged for the man to let Tatsuo go.

Akane wasn’t sure when she moved, but soon she was directly in his face, fist colliding with his nose. He stumbled back, grasping his broken and bloody nose with a shout of anger until Akane was on him again, slamming him to the ground and smashing her fists into him over and over. She vaguely heard Tatsuo fall to the ground, the twins jumping on him immediately before everything went into a silent scream. Akane was seeing red, her purpose to eradicate the man that dared to hurt her family. He might have got a hit in once or twice on her, but she didn’t feel it, refusing to let up her strikes. His body went limp at some point, but she wouldn’t stop, she _couldn’t_ stop.

He deserved to die.

He deserved to die!!

_Die_!!!

“Akane, stop it!!”

Her cheek stung suddenly, face turning from the harsh smack. The enraged woman snarled at the hands that grabbed her wrists, a brief recollection coming over her seeing Kurenai and Kosuke cling to her with blood shot teary eyes. Midori stood before her, gasping for breath, hand quivering from slapping her. Akane slowly looked beneath her, viewing the bruised and beaten man that barely breathed. She felt nauseous. Midori approached her slowly and hugged her tightly around her waist, releasing a loud wail.

“Please… don’t kill him!” She begged. “They’ll take us away from you, and we’ll never see you again! Please stop…!”

Her arms were reluctantly released, allowing her to see the blood that dripped from her knuckles as she crawled off him, pulling Midori with her. She glanced once at her unconscious step-mother, able to determine her alive and well, just passed out drunk. Her head craned back to Tatsuo, the boy silent, his throat bruised with finger markings. Somehow, he was breathing, though it was shallow. Akane regarded each her brothers and sisters, all of them watching her timidly, hiccupping through their tears. She felt ashamed.

They had to witness something so horrible.

“I… I’m sorry.” She whispered, falling back into the wall for support.

Akane sat there, her siblings falling in next to her and Tatsuo. They stayed there for a long time, staring into the air silently, waiting for anything to happen. Crappy things happened all the time in that crappy town. Police were never called unless there was a clear murder, and even then, they hardly ever came. Akane knew that if they ever did come, they would take her family away from her without hesitation.

Eventually, the beaten man woke up, taking a long time to sit up before vomiting blood and bile on the ground. Akane only stared at him as he gazed at her, a bitter resentment in his hideous eyes; a promise that this would not be the last time he would see her. She said nothing to him, and her siblings were quick to hide their faces from him, covering Tatsuo with their bodies protectively. He didn’t say anything either, but he spat at Akane’s feet before wobbling out of the house groaning in pain. Now that he knew where they resided, Akane wasn’t sure if she should have allowed him to live or…

…No… She wasn’t someone who would kill another, especially not in front of the little ones. But if he ever did return with a promise to kill, she wouldn’t hold back.

Akane didn’t sleep that night. None of them did. Tatsuo slowly regained consciousness in the time as well, but the traumatic experience was too much for him to remain awake and suffer through another bout of painful crying. Akane cradled him in her arms until he was able to go back to sleep. They sat there in the kitchen silently until the sun rose for a new day, disregarding their mother who had no memory of anything that had happened in the night.

She didn’t bother to ask any of them why they were crying before leaving for another day of drunken stupor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, this chapter took a lot out of me for some reason. T-T
> 
> I wanted to thank everyone who has stuck with the story so far, it means a lot to me to know that you seem to enjoy it! In truth, I was super embarrassed to post, but I'm glad I did. Hope you enjoy the rest to come!


	9. Chapter 9

Nekomaru ran a hand through his hair, concern building in his thoughts. He had been waiting in the gymnasium for over an hour now, unable to find his new athlete before the gymnastics competition would commence. They had everything prepared, the contestants were registering their names and receiving their bibs in preparation, stretching their limbs and practicing their simpler moves. He had been greeted by others, Mirai making her presence known rather excessively as usual. She always insisted that he should replace her coach, but he never agreed to her request. Aside from the obvious fact that she had no qualms to replace her manager so easily, there was something about her, something he could never quite pinpoint, that made him never want to take her under his wing.

It was odd to think about honestly. He had helped teams that were the worst of the worst in spirit and attitude, and had them become champions within the year. There had been athletes who fully distrusted him, who were rude and cantankerous to his every word and action, but in the end, always came around and followed his plans diligently to achieve the impossible. All of them had something within them that he recognized and appreciated. They all had the essentials of an athlete and longed to improve them: physical fitness, visual acuity, and willpower. While Mirai had those traits, and a load of potential… her heart was always in the wrong. Standing before her, Nekomaru could sense her uncouth thoughts while she carried a relatively normal conversation with him.

“So, Coach Nekomaru, have you considered my offer yet?” Mirai inquired persistently.

“And which offer is that?” He said, playing the fool despite already knowing what she was going to say.

“Silly coach, you know what it is!” Her voice grated his ears as she laughed, swatting his arm playfully. “Become my manager! You know I need one like you!”

“Oh right,” Nekomaru hummed, avoiding her gaze as diligently as possible. “Well, I must apologize then. I am occupied by another athlete as of recently.”

Mirai’s face fell, “What!? Who could-” She stopped after a second of thought, eyes narrowing as she glared up at him. “Surely it isn’t that Akane chick.”

He only smiled, “Good guess!”

Needless to say, she went off on him. Nekomaru was generally a good listener anytime someone spoke to him, but for once he drowned out her voice to focus on other matters until she finally stormed off. He scratched as his ear with a sigh, searching for Akane again. Where on earth was she? There was no way she was someone to miss a competition, especially in the circumstances she was in. The crowds were rolling in slowly, filling the stands with parents, siblings, and supportive friends for the dozens of competitors looking to prove themselves for the upcoming state competition. Some recognized Nekomaru, pointing him out and waving excitedly. He was well-known by many through the people he guided to victory, a popular choice to many athletes as a manager. His talent would only be offered to one person or team at a time though, and now his focus was on Akane.

There wasn’t much time left before the competition would begin and she wouldn’t have a chance to join once it started. A sudden resolve built in Nekomaru, and he marched out of the building, determined to find Akane one way or another. He wasn’t sure how much time remained, but he refused to sit and do nothing while his athlete lost the chance she needed to help her family.

 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Akane’s eyes fluttered open to bright sunrays beaming through the cracks of the small home. She wasn’t sure when she drifted into a light sleep, but her legs were numb from laying so stiffly on the ground and her tailbone ached from sitting on the hard ground. Her arms were stiff from holding Tatsuo against her the entire night, the eldest sibling glancing over her wounded brother. He was still breathing, expression more peaceful than it had been hours ago. Her siblings rested around her, leaning against her for warmth and consolation from the trauma of the night. She leaned her head back, sighing somberly before swallowing dryly.

“Li’l ones… time to wake up.” She called gently, stirring each one from their miniscule slumbers. “The sun is awake… so we must wake up too…”

They moaned, shifting their bodies so they could stretch out. Tatsuo barely moved, but acknowledged her calls as his eyes opened slowly. It warmed her heart to see him wake up, her hold on him tightening.

“How do you feel Tatsuo?” Akane softly asked. “Does your neck hurt too much?”

He began to shake his head, but winced at the attempt of movement, “It mostly hurts when I take a really deep breath or try to turn my head too much…”

She nodded dismally, trying her best to look as calm as she could. As carefully as possible she helped him to his feet, smoothing out his clothes as she inspected the dark finger shaped bruises around his tiny throat. It was a miracle that his windpipe wasn’t crushed in the process. Akane helped each of the siblings stand, brushing off the dust on their clothes, wiping the dried blood off Midori’s face, and gently running her fingers through their hair to untangle any knots. She did all these things deliberately, taking in the texture of each of her brothers and sisters hair, taking in their scents, admiring their eyes when they shone with minor confidence looking at her.

She wanted to remember them completely, because there was no telling if she would lose any of them after their last experience. There could have been a day where she wouldn’t make it back in time to help them. It pained her to think that…

“Big sis…?” Kurenai called to her tiredly, catching her attention as she was finishing combing through her hair. “You don’t have to cry…”

Akane blinked, setting her fingers to her cheek when she felt a warm, wet drop fall over her face. She didn’t even realize she was crying. Hastily, she wiped the tears away, putting on a large smile.

“Big sis doesn’t cry, what are you talking about?” Akane laughed unpersuasively, desperate to maintain a cheerful disposition.

Her façade wasn’t bought by the empathetic sister as she hugged her, “Last night was scary. It’s okay to cry.”

Akane grimaced, arms falling to her side as she viewed her family. They were all shaking, holding back tears that longed for freedom. It looked as if they were waiting for her to break, all of them unpersuaded by her attempts. She ground her teeth together, refusing to let herself fall apart emotionally as she patted Kurenai’s back tenderly. Even though she was hurting, Akane had to remain strong for their sake.

“It was scary, but we got through it together.” She said.

“But… that man threatened to come back…” whispered Hikari.

“And if he does dare to come back, I’ll kick his ass.” Akane boldly claimed.  “He won’t touch any of you again as long as I am here.”

“Well… we won’t have to deal with him when we leave this place.” growled Haruto. “You’ll win every gymnastics competition and we will be able to- “

“The contest!” Midori suddenly interrupted, shooting Akane a wide-eyed stare. “Th-that’s today! Shouldn’t you be there by now Akane?”

Every pair of eyes locked onto the ultimate gymnast at once, wide with alarm. Akane cursed to herself. She had forgotten all about the competition honestly, but it was the last thing she wanted to even think about. Leaving her siblings alone was out of the question. She was probably too late to sign in anyway.

“It’s fine.” She brushed it off. “It’s probably too late now.”

“No!” shouted Midori. “You have to go Akane!”

“It’s the only way you can get money so we can leave!” added Haruto.

“Please! You have to go!” cried Kurenai. “Even if it might be too late… you don’t know that if you don’t go!”

Akane scowled, “I’m not leaving you. The contest is not as important as you guys are.”

The moment they all gave her dumbfounded expressions, Akane knew she lost the battle, “We’ll just go with you and cheer you on~!”

She stared at them, eyes landing on Tatsuo. It was true, she could have just taken them with her, but she was aware that people would question the obvious bruise on his neck. However, despite that fact, there was no way they were not going to let her just sit there and miss a potential win. There could have still been time to join.

Haruto lead the charge like he always did, grabbing her wrists and tugging her out the shack, insisting she go. She was pushed, pulled, tugged, and begged ceaselessly until she shook her head and laughed in defeat. Even if she missed the competition, even if she was forced to watch other gymnast compete in her place, it would be in their best interest to get out of the house. If she wanted to cheer them up, she needed to do whatever they wanted to make them forget about the trial of the night.

“Alright, alright li’l ones.” She knelt to the ground, coaxing Tatsuo onto her back. “Haruto, you carry Hana. We’ve got places to go.”

“Hooray!”

Soon, they were a small crowd of mainly adolescents racing through the streets to the gym, Akane moving carefully so she didn’t hurt Tatsuo too much. The boy giggled contentedly for the most part, squealing when she ran faster. If his neck began to hurt, he would tell her, and she would slow down for his sake. It was wonderful to hear her siblings laugh again, trying to keep up with her to their best ability. Akane grinned, glancing back occasionally to see them, teasing their speed so they would sprint faster, always in eager competition with her during these moments. She didn’t care if they were stared at for the excessive noise they made, she only wanted to hear them laugh.

Their legs carried them the entire way, the gym entering their sight in a matter of minutes. The children cheered with excitement as they neared the building, speeding up, when Kosuke shouted out, “Hey look!”

Akane heeded his yell as a warning, and dug her heels into the ground to keep herself from slamming directly into Nekomaru who suddenly came rushing out the building just as they arrived. He was certainly startled, throwing his arms out in preparation to catch any of them, but he hadn’t anticipated being swarmed by the children as they pounced on him with excited shouts of elation. His body was knocked down from the multitude of weights thrown on him, the children cheering as if they had succeeded at taking down a massive beast.

“Hi Nekomaru!” They greeted cheerfully.

“H-hey!” He stammered, briefly flabbergasted by what had just taken place.

Akane set Tatsuo down so he could visit the large manager as well, not missing the flash of concern that crossed his expression when he noticed the boys neck. Her frantic head shake kept him silent for the moment.

“Get inside Akane, it’s going to start soon.” He informed her.

“So, we actually made it!” bleated Haruto with a loud laugh. “Told ya, big sis! Now go kick their butts! We’ll cheer you on in the crowds!”

She smiled at them, nodding before stepping into the building with one last nervous glance at Nekomaru. He knew all too well that she gave him that look for the sake of keeping him from inquiring any of them what had happened to Tatsuo, but he didn’t miss the red puffy eyes of the other siblings, or the tear stains that speckled their clothes either. Tatsuo’s neck was not the only obvious concern. Curious as he was, he would respect their privacy for a while, but there was no way he was going to forget it.

“Come on kids, let’s go find you some seats.” Nekomaru insisted, getting back to his feet after prying himself free from the multitude of small bodies and leading the sprightly children into the gymnasium. He grabbed them a few snacks and laid a towel around Tatsuo’s neck like a scarf before getting them front row seats to observe their sisters every action during the contest.

There was no doubt in Nekomaru’s mind that they were the loudest supporters in the entire crowd.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My inspiration to write was over 9000. Hopefully the next chapter comes soon!


	10. Chapter 10

            Despite arriving minutes before the contest started, Akane took the win as easily as she recently seemed to manage with every previous one. Her performance was nearly immaculate, earning a standing ovation at her completion to each of the different events, her eyes always shifting to view her darling siblings who jumped for joy, throwing their arms up any time she walked onto the mats for her turn. As she stood proudly on the middle stand of the podium, accepting her awards and recognition, she laughed when the seven siblings charged onto the floor, escaping their chairs without any permission whatsoever and barraging onto her once she greeted them halfway. No one was willing to stop them anyway, it served to further boost the jubilation that filled the gym.

            It was a touching scene.

            Nekomaru watched from the sidelines, waiting for the right moment to congratulate her victory. He saw the fury in Mirai’s eyes from taking second place, the additional disappointment from the woman in third place, and the surprise that remained in the crowds gaping mouths and wide eyes as they had a chance to witness Akane’s picturesque routines. She was an unexpected, but truly appreciated, victor of the day, deserving of her title as the ultimate gymnast. Her social skills lacked in regards to being praised for her abilities by many people, but her smile was brilliant and confident. That alone was an excellent asset to have, even if she wasn’t the best at being surrounded by adoring fans. Her siblings stuck to her like glue, the females shyly answering any question thrown their way, while the males boasted how incredible their big sister was. Thankfully, Tatsuo held fast to the towel covering his neck so no one could give them questionable glances of concern.

            The ceremony went on for at least an hour before the crowds lessened enough to enable Akane to flee the scene and peel herself out of the accursed leotard she despised the most. She was given the reward money of $1,000 and she was quick to tuck it safely away among her siblings’ pockets and her reliable breasts. It had been a long day, they were all completely exhausted once they finally stepped outside to the setting sun. Akane let out a long yawn, the action spreading over her family like a contagion. Hana was already dozing off in Hikari’s arms, and Kosuke looked close to collapsing.

            Of course… now came the ordeal of returning home, the one place Akane wished she could avoid entirely. The blood speckled floors would be a harsh reminder to them to remain on edge for a time. She looked over each of her brothers and sister, startled to find each of them suddenly silent and still as they stared dismally in the direction of where they would have to go. They didn’t want to go back either.

            “Well… let’s go back home li’l ones.” Akane said in a soft voice. “I’m beat, I could sleep for a whole week.”

            They were silent for a moment, looking amongst each other as she began to walk off. Realizing they weren’t following her, Akane halted, shooting a glance back at them.

            “Come on, we have to go home.” She insisted.

            “Do we have to?” asked Midori, her voice feeble.

            Akane’s lips pinched together, her body turning back to them, “Well, yeah. We need to get some sleep.”

            “Could we… sleep here?” queried Hikari. “We could go find some food, and come back here instead.”

            Akane pondered the thought. She certainly wasn’t against the idea; the gym did have air conditioning and medical beds to sleep on. If it was what they wanted to do…

            “Hey! Akane!” She jolted at Nekomaru’s unmistakable voice, the ultimate manager bursting forth from the entrance doors.

            The light in her siblings’ eyes instantly increased in brightness at his appearance, “Nekomaru!”

            He grinned at them, setting a large hand on Kosuke and Haruto’s heads, addressing Akane, “Congrats on your win! You did great, but there is still plenty of work to do!”

            “Yeah,” Akane simply stated. “Thanks coach.”

            “First things first though, we should celebrate your victory!” He exclaimed suddenly. “Why don’t you come to my place and I’ll make some food for all of you?”

            Akane gawked at him, prepared to reject him since she already had some idea of what she was going to do for her siblings and simply because she wasn’t sure if she was willing to accept any more aid from this friendly brute, but she was quickly interrupted by the excited cheers of her family.

            “Really!? You would do that for us!?”

            “Nekomaru, you’re so kind to us! Thank you!”

            “I’m starving! I could eat a whole bunch!”

            “We can see Nekomaru’s home! I bet it’s nice!”

            Akane was exasperated, staring intensely at Nekomaru who seemed oblivious to her reluctance. She stuttered a few incoherent words, desperately ignoring the rumble in her stomach at the idea of his delicious rice balls. Ever since he appeared, he was always trying to help them somehow. She didn’t need help! She did all of this alone for her entire life!

            Why was he so… nice to them?

            A tiny hand tugged her skirt lightly, earning her attention entirely. Tatsuo was at her side unable to fully look up at her as he leaned into her leg.

            “Can we go big sis?” He asked timidly. “Can we… please?”

            Akane’s resolve shattered hearing his frail voice, running a hand over his soft hair as she looked to her other siblings. All of them had large pleading eyes, begging for her permission. There was no way she could reject his offer now, not when they had so much hope for something wholesome to happen.

            “Yeah… yeah sure.” She agreed, albeit reluctantly, lowering to Tatsuo’s level and running a finger over his cheek. “We can go.”

            “Alright!” Nekomaru enthusiastically shouted, and he marched forward, moving past Akane and Tatsuo when he paused. He turned back to the boy, taking a few steps back and kneeling before him with compassionate eyes. His smile was warm, and Tatsuo was instantly attracted by his demeanor. “You want to ride on my back there?”

            Tatsuo’s eyes sparkled, and he wordlessly extending his arms to be picked up. Nekomaru carefully set the boy on the back of his neck, his smile growing exponentially once he realized how high up he was. His giggles echoed through the empty street.

            Akane bit her lip, watching as Nekomaru lead her family away. She was pleased to see them so happy, it was the one thing she adored and longed for every day. But every time Nekomaru was there, _he_ was the one that seemed to make them happy. Akane had never felt jealousy before, mainly because it was a trivial feeling that stupid girls like Mirai felt, but in that very moment, watching her siblings jump around Nekomaru as he guided them to his home, laughing and smiling as if they didn’t have a trouble in the world, Akane was certain she had a feeling of envy towards the large man.

            Maybe… she even felt a touch of loathing toward him.

* * *

 

            True to his word, Nekomaru prepared a glorious meal for the family. They ate like kings, or at least that was how they felt when they laid on the ground after finishing the entire meal, full and content with long sighs of delight. The children explored the small apartment thoroughly, amazed by the carpet, the curtains, the windows, the cleanliness, and above all, the giant bed. They climbed all over it until Akane gave them a disapproving stare, getting them back to the living room. The ultimate gymnast felt ten times better now that she had eaten an impressive meal, but it was getting late. The moon was high in starry sky, and while the apartment was the greatest place she could hope and dream to be in someday, they needed to get some rest. She intended to take them back to the gym since it was their initial request of a place to stay instead of returning home.

            Jumping to her feet once her meal was swiftly consumed, Akane bee-lined to the door, “Alright li’l ones, we should really head out and get some- “

            “Shh,” She was shushed by Nekomaru, her eyes darting cantankerously to him. Her mouth opened to speak again, but when he shook his head at her with a sentimental expression, she took a moment to look around. Every single one of her siblings were fast asleep on the carpeted floor, snuggled together with small smiles on their faces, bellies distended with food.

            … _Damn._

Akane nervously glanced at Nekomaru, “S-sorry, I’ll wake them up and we’ll- “

            “That’s not necessary.” He stated calmly, returning to the dishes he had been working on. “Let them sleep, they’re exhausted. In fact, move them to my bed, will you?”

            She glared at his backside for a long time, but he never looked back at her to acknowledge her burning gaze. He wasn’t going to let her out of this one easily, so she found herself giving in to his suggestion, carrying each sibling to his impressive bed and setting them in the same places they normally slept in at their home. Each one sighed contentedly the moment their heads touched the smooth sheets. Akane sat at the bedside, running her fingers over each of their soft fragile faces, adoring their peaceful expressions. It was rare to see them so relaxed, so secure and safe, confident in their well-being based on where they were.

            She leaned into each one of them, pressing her lips to their foreheads gingerly before rising from the bed and flicking off the lights.

            Nekomaru was waiting for her in the kitchen, arms crossed, eyes fixated on her. She already knew what he was going to ask now that the children were asleep, so she shook her head at him in an attempt to keep him silent. His golden eyes narrowed on her, brave defiance blazing within them.

            “What happened to Tatsuo?” He boldly probed.

            “Nothing.” She hissed, an initial warning.

            “Those bruises on his neck are not ‘nothing’ Akane.” Nekomaru scowled. “He’s been choked, that much is obvious.”

            “ _It’s none of your business_.” Akane growled. The second warning.

            His shoulders lifted with his heavy sigh, “Your knuckles were covered in dry blood, your siblings’ eyes were red from them clearly crying last night, Midori had a bruise on her- “

            “Shut up!!”

            Akane threw her fist out at his face. It was her instant reaction to his probing anymore, her anger and frustration getting the best of her when he always knew something was off. She hated that he was always aware of everything. He evaded her attack, reaching out and grabbing her wrist tightly. She gasped when her back hit the nearest wall, his leg pinning her by the knees while his other arm snatched her by the bicep. With what movement she could manage to achieve in her current position, her sharp nails dug into his arm as she tried to force him to release her. If he didn’t have his jacket on, she would have undoubtedly torn into his flesh from the vicious action.

            “This is _not_ the time to fight me.” He said lowly, his gaze threatening as she bared her teeth at him. “If you wish to awaken your siblings, then we can continue this chaos right now, but I know you would rather they have a chance to rest.”

            Akane clicked her tongue with irritation, turning her head away from him while her grip on his arm loosened. In addition to everything else, he also somehow knew what nerve to hit to make her stop.

            “However…” He continued his thought process, sounding as if he had an idea. “If you wish, we can continue this outside. This is my offer to you; if I win, you must tell me what has transpired, and if I lose, I will never ask about this again.”

            Her fiery gaze met his immediately, “Bring it on, old man.”

* * *

 

            She lost. How infuriated she was to be defeated over a span of five minutes, slamming her fist to the ground with a shout of frustration. Nekomaru stood a few feet away from her, having knocked her down for the fourth time through brute force, catching his breath as he waited for her to get back onto her feet. She was a tough girl, her hits stung more than usual this time when he accepted her blows or caught her fists. She had been desperate to win, all for the sake of hiding something troubling from him, but a deal was a deal.

            Her knees wobbled beneath her as she eventually climbed to her feet, holding her head as blood dripped from an open wound after she landed harshly on the ground.

            “Damn you…” She grumbled, wincing as her fingers brushed over the cut. “I’ll… beat you next time…”

            Nekomaru waited patiently for her to recuperate enough to clearly explain what he wanted to know. She was reluctant, but he knew she wasn’t a deal breaker. That wasn’t her character, even if it was all she was probably thinking about at the time. Once she was balanced on her feet, he escorted her back inside, choosing to treat her wounds while she would tell him the truth.

            And she did. She told him everything he wanted to know as he cared for her, perturbed to learn that the very man he had first saved her from was back in the picture. Her body trembled with anger when she told him how Tatsuo was choked, her breathing grew irregular with fury when she described the way she mercilessly beat the man to the ground… then calming once she explained how Midori stopped her. There was a tinge of disappointment in her voice from that point on, and Nekomaru could easily understand why. No one would want their siblings to see something so violent, performed by a loved one’s own hands. Even if he didn’t have siblings, he could recognize that notion effortlessly.

            He was cleaning her scraped knuckles when she finished her tale, nodding slowly so she knew he had listened to every word. She didn’t know what had provoked the incident, and she probably would never ask the children about it. The man had been drunk, and it was possible that Tatsuo crossed paths with him at a poor time. Perhaps he had incessantly prodded the man with his favorite stick since it was at his feet during the incident, and irritated him, or maybe it was an unprovoked attack in general.

            Nekomaru didn’t want to think about it too much either, but he was bothered by the circumstance completely. What were they doing in such a terrible place? Why were they still there? Their lives were constantly in danger it appeared.

            “You care about them profoundly, don’t you Akane?” He commented briefly. “You want to protect them and keep them safe?”

            “That’s a stupid question.” Akane reprimanded. “Of course I do.”

            “Then get out of there.” Nekomaru gave her a brief glance to see if she was paying attention, satisfied when she pursed her lips at him. “Go somewhere better for them.”

            “In case you didn’t get it, that’s why I’m doing these competitions, coach.” She huffed matter-of-factly. “Once I gather the money, I’ll buy a house and we’ll get out of that crappy place for good.”

            “…I’ll help you Akane. You know that, right?”

            Her entire body relaxed as she exhaled a large amount of air, “You’re weird… No one has ever told me that before. I’ve handled this by myself for a long time.” She seemed uncertain, and undoubtedly distrustful of his claim. His eyes met hers, a moment of silence passing between them before he spoke up again.

            “Well, you don’t have to handle it alone anymore.” He claimed.

            “…I don’t believe you.”

            He swallowed thickly, watching as her gaze lowered to her hands. The things she must have dealt with her entire life… Nekomaru felt his heart ache for her. He couldn’t completely relate to her, but he understood what it meant to struggle through life. The entire beginning of his life wasn’t the best experience, but it made him into who he was then. Maybe she wouldn’t believe in him for a long time, but he would nevertheless do his best to help her.

            As her manager, and as her comrade.

            “Then, at least know this Akane,” He asserted firmly. “If you or your siblings ever get into danger, you can come here to my place. It doesn’t matter what time it is, or what day it is, just come and I’ll help you. Remember that.”

            To his relief, Akane nodded. It was all he needed to know that she heard him. Whether she would actually keep it in mind during those critical moments was up to her.

            “Nekomaru…” Her voice was just above a whisper, but he heard her loud and clear. “You’re… such a strange guy.” She tentatively glanced up at him, and he was elated to see the gleam of hope in her tired eyes. While she wouldn’t admit it out loud, he could sense trust blooming within her. “But thanks…”

            “No problem.”

            He finished tending to her injuries in a short time, proud of his handiwork as he rose to his feet, offering a hand to the woman before him. Akane didn’t budge from her spot, let alone acknowledge him when he completed his treatment or extended his hand to her. She had fallen asleep, finally giving in to her fatigue that had accumulated over the days of stressful events. Nekomaru huffed out a weak laugh, uncertain how she could sleep in such an odd sitting position, but he scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bed, laying her in the open middle section that seemed unconsciously and purposely made for her.

            The moment she was placed on the bed, her siblings seemed to instinctively crawl toward her, nuzzling her body tenderly as they went still against her, finally at peace with her by their side. Nekomaru had never witnessed a family closer knit than hers and he never wished to see it fall apart. His experience of camaraderie came from the people he had helped over the years, but never in the form that Akane had. It was a sight for sore eyes and it nearly made him emotional. Akane Owari had dealt with everything by herself. She was not used to receiving help from others, and probably denied any that may have been offered to her. Her independence was noteworthy, her courage unmistakable, and the most prevalent of them all, was her unwavering loyalty to her siblings. She was a woman unlike any other that Nekomaru had the privilege to meet. He respected her…

            And he sympathized for her too.

            In the darkness of the room, with moonlight cascading through the window on the family, Nekomaru swore to himself that he would do anything to help them escape the hell they were forced to endure. Akane would get out of there… because he would make sure she was the victor of every competition to come.

            And… he would protect her and her siblings from anyone who would dare to harm them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this chapter way faster than I thought I was going to.  
> OH WELL.  
> The next one will actually be up pretty quick as well actually. I'm excited for it. Hope you're enjoying this story as much as I am!


	11. Intermission - That Night

            The town slumbered in the darkness of night, dead silent from unconscious drunks, deceased families, or sleeping children. A lone figure stood beside a street light, staring at the house of his choice as he twirled a knife in his hand repeatedly. His other hand was clenched in a tight fist, prepared to punch any person that dared to approach him. He was infuriated, face still in a great deal of pain after the beating he received from that gorgeous bitch he found himself so obsessed with. It wasn’t his fault, the little brat wouldn’t stop talking his ear off, swinging his stupid stick around like some stupid warrior boy that didn’t know what the hell he was doing. Matters were made worse when the other kids kept gawking at him with nervous eyes. They were all annoying as hell.

            Then that damn stick hit his beer out of his hand and he knew he had to punish that kid. He would have eagerly watched the air leave his puny body, and probably would have went for that girl who dared to bite his arm in the same manner if he wasn’t stopped prematurely. It was a seriously shitty night.

            However, there was at least one good thing did come out of that entire ordeal.

            He had found _her_ again. The most delicious looking woman he ever set eyes on and had sworn that she would be his and his alone the moment he locked eyes with her. His mind was filled with thoughts of her, a goddess, the best thing he had ever had a chance to lay his eyes on. She was all he could think about for the past week, all he wanted, all he desired to obtain. After all, she was meant for him. The gods personally gave her to him! It was destiny! Her name… he learned her name by chance from her noisy shouting siblings.

            Akane… A beautiful name, befitting of her. Akane… the representation of the color red; passion, desire, lust, bravery, confidence. Everything he could have asked for in a woman. She was the ultimate gymnast, how ironic! He was recognized as an ultimate too, but the title was not important. No no… he never told anyone his talent. It was his dirty little secret that he kept to himself.

            She lived in such a dump, he could fix that easily if she agreed to be his. Wrong… she had no choice but to be his. However, she was a feisty one, that much was obvious from her spiteful words when they first met, from the ferocity behind each hit she dealt to him until he passed out. She didn’t even allow him to introduce himself appropriately when he approached her the first time. He couldn’t just walk up to her willy-nilly, she would surely beat him up again like she had night before. She could have still been angry with him…

            No, he needed a better approach, and he had just the idea. Her precious siblings… she clearly adored them the ends of the earth. He wasn’t sure why; the less mouths there were to feed, the better off they would have been. Maybe… they could be used as ransom to gain her hand in marriage if push came to shove. He snickered at the notion, eyes brimming with deadly enthusiasm, his smile delirious. Maybe he could torture them and promise their freedom only if she promised to be his bride. His body shivered in delight just thinking about it, clenched hand loosening long enough for him to tap at his pocket that contained his special knives. Now that he knew exactly where she lived, he didn’t have to search for her anymore. He laughed.

            Yes, yes, that was his plan. No one would keep her from him.

            His idealist plan had been set in motion for a while now, but none of them had returned home yet. Surely, they had nothing better to do, so why weren’t they in their pathetic house? His grin became a sneer, hand forming a fist to hit the street light as he growled. They should have been back by now. He wanted to see her again.

            No, he _needed_ to see her again.

            Despite his entire face hurting like hell, he had left the hospital the second they fixed his nose and bandaged him up, all because he wanted to return to the house to see her again. How dare she stand him up. How dare she evade him.

            His luck with her had already been ruined once before thanks to that inconvenient asshole that came along and snatched her away before his poison could completely take effect. He didn’t mean to use the poisoned knife, that was an accident. She just frustrated him because she wouldn’t stop running away from him. It was her punishment. Bad girls had to be disciplined…

            The irate male began to pace back and forth in front of the street light, growing more and more displeased the longer he waited. Where could she have been? Where was his future love? The twists and twirls he performed with his knife increased in speed, along with his pacing. His thoughts reeled violently. Was she avoiding him?

            _No no… she loved him_!

            She was his. _All. His_.

            At some point, the knife slipped free from his spinning fingers, clinking on the ground, lost along with any piece of sanity that remained inside him in those brief moments. His body lurched back, a shout tearing from his throat as he screamed to the skies. The silence of the night was disturbed, the resting people startled from their slumber, thoughts swarmed with fear that they were about to face their final night of life. He snatched the knife back up, storming towards the empty house and kicking the door in.

            “Where are you!?” He whined, searching anxiously. “Where are you? Where is my beautiful vixen? Why aren’t you here to greet me??”

            His breathing was erratic, eyes darting around for any sign of her. Not even the woman he had returned with was there, probably out with another man at some other bar. She wasn’t worth his time; the little slut. He didn’t want used goods anyway. The knife was thrown with frustration, jamming into a wall as he kicked a different one, his foot breaking through the fragile structure. He glared at the newly made hole in the building, waiting for the dust to settle. Then, he sighed, straightening himself and fixing his wild black hair, brushing off the dust on his pant leg. How inappropriate of him to act as such. He was a gentleman. How would Akane feel if she saw him act in such a way?

            “Breathe…” He whispered to himself. “She’ll return eventually.”

            His tongue ran over his bruised lips as he calmed himself, grabbing his trusty weapon again. He stared at the indentation that was made from the sharp edge curiously, grinning slowly as he thought of one thing.

            “My sweet Akane… you know not my name, do you?” His hand moved, the knife carving into the wall purposely as he rambled on, the words coming out quickly and barely coherent. “I want you to know it. This is my name… You’ll know it when you return and see it here. I’ll see you soon darling… I’ll see you very soon…”

            He admired his craft ostentatiously, a single finger trailing over each letter before he left the building, not bothering to close the busted door behind him. That way, she would know he came to visit her. His lips puckered as he whistled a jovial tune, traveling down the empty street and twirling the knife in his hand once more an air of achievement about him. The frozen silence of the night ultimately returned with his departure, but a new feeling of suffocating tension replaced the brief moment of peace that hardly ever showed its face in that broken town.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Le gasp, did I just write something bound to cause trouble in future chapters?  
> Yes. Yes I did.


	12. Chapter 11

            Akane’s nose twitched the instant a pleasant scent tickled her olfactory senses. She inhaled deeply, body instinctively stretching with the excess of air entering her body from awakening. Her eyes blinked open slowly, focusing her vision on her surroundings that were unusually comfortable and spacious for a cardboard… bed? She shot up into a sitting position, scanning the area around her frantically with momentary confusion and panic. Her fingers grabbed at the silk sheets beneath her, satisfying to the touch, far different from the old stained blanket she normally slept under crowded with her siblings.

            …Her siblings?

            Akane jolted again, eyes widening with desolation the second she realized she was all alone in the bed. No wonder it felt so open and surprisingly lonely for her standards.

            “Li’l ones?” She called out to them, springing from the bed and stumbling into the empty living room, suddenly aware of her predicament. The last thing she remembered was sitting with Nekomaru as he cleaned dry blood from her knuckles before everything seemed to grow hazy. Unbelievable! She had fallen asleep! “Hello!”

            There was no one in the apartment save for herself. Where could the others have disappeared to? She frowned, but didn’t feel worried compared to how she may have felt if they were back at their house. Her gut was completely calm, there was no reason to become anxious. Seeing that Nekomaru was absent as well, she was quick to assume that he may have taken her trusting siblings somewhere once they woke up. Normally when they began to move around though, Akane would wake up too, but somehow, she wasn’t bothered by them at all this time around. She sighed, rubbing sleep from her eyes, and certainly feeling reinvigorated from the inexplicable luxury of the bed. Her best option was to wait for their return, willing to put some faith in Nekomaru’s good ethics based on what she had witnessed thus far.

            Akane inhaled again, nose catching the pleasurable scent she had first smelled when she woke up. It was an unmistakable smell, one that had her stomach roar with craving and her mouth salivate with desire. The wonderful, delicious aroma of bacon and eggs for breakfast. Her nose eagerly guided her to the kotatsu table where her pre-made plate awaited consumption by her own hand. She beamed excitedly, nearly throwing herself to the ground as she scarfed the food down without a second thought. It was a minor snack; she wished she could have had seconds and thirds, but she wasn’t ungrateful. Based on the stack of dishes in the sink, Nekomaru had likely fed her family once again. She was relieved to know that they had a good meal, but her pride was taking a beating thanks to him.

            But… he wasn’t a bad man. He was her coach now, and he had extended his hand out of kindness to her, promising to help her if she ever needed it. She remembered what he told her that night: _“If you or your siblings ever get into danger, you can come here to my place. It doesn’t matter what time it is, or what day it is, just come and I’ll help you. Remember that.”_

His apartment wasn’t terribly far from her place or the gym, and just being there gave her an overwhelming sense of security. Akane nodded to herself, promising to no one that she would remember his offer before rising from the ground and grabbing her plate, moving toward the kitchen. She didn’t clean dishes very often, but it was her best way to show her gratitude in the moment.

            By the time she finished, she heard the front door open, Nekomaru and her siblings swarming into the room with delighted cheers and giggles. They greeted Akane merrily, bags of groceries in their hands. Tatsuo had a new blue scarf cozily wrapped around his neck.

            “Good morning sleepy head big sis!” Midori smiled, a chortle escaping her. “You were out like a lightbulb!”

            “Nekomaru took us to the store to buy some food.” giggled Kurenai. “Look! We have some canned food to take home with us!”

            “Can food!” squealed Hana, holding a single can of beans in her hands as she shook it around like a maraca.

            Akane tensed, her eyes searching the small party, “Don’t tell me you guys spent the money I just got from the competition.”

            Nekomaru shook his head, “No way, I paid for it. The money is safe in the bedroom in the nightstand.”

            She paused, giving him a startled look, “You…paid for it?”

            He only shrugged, “Most of it is for me anyway so I can cook some more stuff. I was running low on groceries so I figured I would take the kids with and let them pick out some stuff they wanted so they wouldn’t wake you up. All in all, they mostly grabbed some canned stuff. Tatsuo found a scarf he really liked, and it looked better than having a towel around his neck all the time so I got that for him too.”

            To emphasize the fact, Tatsuo began to wave the different ends of his scarf around, making whooshing sounds like an airplane. He stormed over to Akane to show her excitedly, her lips curving into a smile as she lowered herself to fix his appearance. She felt her heart melt with indebted warmth, jumping to her feet again and moving to Nekomaru. Her hands clasped together in front of her face as she bowed her head to him.

            “Thank you, coach,” She said. “I… I don’t know how to repay you.”

            “You can repay me by working hard on training, starting today.” Nekomaru declared. “I have the perfect plan thought up for you now. Once I put all this stuff away, we’re going straight to the park!”

            “Can we go too!?” gasped Kosuke. “I wanna train! I wanna be strong!”

            “Me too!” cheered Midori. “Let’s all get super strong!”

            “That’s the spirit!” Nekomaru bellowed proudly, setting the multitude of bags on the ground and quickly throwing the items in their designated places. “Now let’s go!!”

            Just as rapidly as they had returned to the apartment, they scurried back out, the siblings leaving behind the food they obtained and racing through the building in their escapade to the park. Everyone ran as fast as they possibly could, beginning the training regime before they even reached the park.

            While Akane had her chosen exercises to complete, Nekomaru willingly gave the children their own training plans, albeit less intense plans than what their older sister had to do. By the end of it, only the twins and Midori seemed semi-willing to continue, the others too bored or exhausted from it all, choosing to play around the park instead. If they were older athletes, Nekomaru would have disapproved their giving up, but they were only children who wanted to have some fun. He encouraged Midori and the twins to do the same eventually.

            Akane had finally finished her fifth set of fifty push-ups by mid-afternoon, the final exercise of the day. She flopped onto the ground face first, groaning with weariness and hunger, but satisfied with her achievement.

            “Nicely done Akane!” Nekomaru praised nearby. “We’ll do this again tomorrow, same place, same time, same exercise!”

            “Y-yeah.” The worn-out female panted. “I’ll be here, but I’m gonna challenge you to a fight first coach.”

            “Challenge accepted.” He approved with a confident grin, extending a hand to help her to her feet. “I’ll face you anytime you want. A manager’s job is to support their athletes after all.”

            Akane accepted his hand, being hoisted up swiftly onto her feet. She called to her siblings to gather them around her, ready to return to Nekomaru’s apartment to grab the food he had so kindly provided them with. To her excitement, he offered to do _it_ to her when they returned to relieve any aches in her body from the intense training she endured. Her body prickled with yearning from the thought of it, and despite her weariness, Akane eagerly challenged everyone to a race to see who could get there faster just so she didn’t have to wait from a slow walk.

            Everything about her felt lighter when he finished his addicting massage. He performed it while her siblings gathered their cans of food, listening as Akane couldn’t contain her explicit howling of pleasure with every press of his skillful fingers. As she stretched her arms out, she was greeted by her wide-eyed siblings who were genuinely confused by what they had heard, even more bothered by the fact that Nekomaru had removed his jacket and stood in his white tank top. They looked amongst each other, Hikari covering her mouth as if she was trying to stifle either a laugh or a blush.

            Haruto eventually spoke up unreservedly, “Did you two just fuck?”

            Nekomaru looked as though he was going to faint, face turning a dark shade of red as he began to sweat profusely, “ABSOLUTELY NOT!!”

            Akane was in his face suddenly, pinching the boy’s ear and pulling, “What did I say about using that language, Haruto?”

            “Ow!” Haruto grabbed at her wrist desperately, the other siblings giggling at his chastisement. “Sorry! It’s just, you seriously sounded like momma when she gets it on with- “

            “Okay! That’s the end of that conversation, it’s time to go home li’l ones!” Akane barked loudly, dragging Haruto behind her as he continued to hiss in pain, begging for mercy. “We’ll see you tomorrow coach, as promised!”

            “Bye Nekomaru!” shouted most of the children as they carried out their food items excitedly, Hikari chiming in, “Maybe we can sleep over again someday!”

            Nekomaru grinned, waving after them as the door shut before he shook his head at Haruto’s intense idea. Kids had such crazy ideas sometimes, and certainly didn’t understand a lot of things. Still, for a little boy to think _that_ far ahead?

            His face felt uncomfortably hot for a good portion of the rest of the day.

* * *

 

             Akane reprimanded Haruto for a few minutes before he worked his natural charm on her to get her laughing. The little stinker, he was too good at figure out how to escape her light disciplining. She released his ear, but he was promptly teased by his twin sister and Midori who pointed out the redness of his ear repeatedly. Kurenai replaced him at Akane’s side, holding her hand the rest of the way home while Hana waddled along beside them. It had been a long day, and they looked forward to eating another virtuous meal provided by Nekomaru.

            But the moment they arrived at the old shack, Akane wished she never returned.

            The door was hanging off its hinges, swaying pathetically in the light breeze. Her immediate thought was to guard her siblings, there was no telling if a stranger was still inside, waiting to ambush them. The next thought brought a sense of worry over her: was her step-mother okay?

            “Momma…?” Kosuke voiced her thoughts erratically, the rest following suit with fearful expressions as they wondered about their mother’s well-being. He started forward before Akane shot her hand out to block him.

            “Stay out here,” Akane commanded. “And run back to Nekomaru if you hear me yell. Do you understand?”

            They nodded reticently, huddling closer to each other while Akane made her way inside, fists clenched at her side. She turned a corner sharply, ready to strike just in case, but felt minor relief to see a familiar face instead. The first thing she noticed was her step-mother sitting on the old dingy couch, glaring directly at her with a cross expression, prepared to start yelling at her for something she had no idea as to what was going on. Then she saw a newly made hole in the wall, as if it had been kicked violently in a fit of rage. Nothing seemed abysmal, not even when her step-mother began to question her absence and the reasoning for the damages to the house, until finally, she saw the carving in the wall, resolute and clear with a single name forming in the letters: Kuraim.

            Akane squinted at the name, nothing clicking in her mind to tell her she had any inkling as to who it was, but she had her opinions. If it was the man that had nearly killed Tatsuo, she had reason to be highly concerned. She jumped when a hand grabbed at her arm, reflexes nearly kicking in if she wasn’t aware that it was likely her step-mother. The woman was yelling at her for answers, questioning the damages in the house and the name carved in wall. Akane sighed, setting a hand gently over hers and shaking her head.

            “I don’t know.” She interrupted tiredly. “It’s probably one of the men you keep bringing home, mother.”

            “I don’t remember any of this.” Her eyes began to water, emotional stability breaking apart as easily as ever. “Where are my babies? Are they safe?”

            “Yes, they’re fine.” Akane called for them, and they immediately congregated inside, clustering around their mother once they realized she was sober enough to acknowledge their presence. She seemed to relax, embracing each of them and kissing their cheeks.

            “L-look momma, we brought some food home.” said Hikari, holding up her bag of groceries. “Are you hungry?”

            “Wh-who’s Kuraim?” asked Midori, her eyes locked on the ominous carving.

            “No one.” Akane quickly intervened. “Don’t… worry about it.”

            Luckily, their mother turned their attention to hunger, encouraging them to open a few of the cans so they could eat. While they feasted, Akane took it on herself to tear apart the carving, to destroy whatever sense of dread would linger in their home. It was a minor fix to the large problem, but nothing about her wished to wake up and see the name first thing in the morning.

            She watched her family eat, aware of the tension among them. They rarely ate with their mother, they hardly saw her as it was, and she acted concerned about them when it was nearly too late to even care. The optimism her siblings usually gave off was lacking, it wasn’t hard to miss, though the fact went clear over their mother’s head as she asked about their days and their health and whereabouts. Their answers were truthful, but soft. She asked Tatsuo about his scarf, and he told her about Nekomaru, avoiding anything and everything about him being suffocated by the hands of a man she brought home. Generally, they knew to avoid those topics simply because she never remembered her nights and would start to cry excessively if there was any mentioning of her children being harmed.

            Akane remained silent, unable to tear her thoughts away from the fact that just the night before, they were all in high spirits with Nekomaru. The air was completely different from then. It was oddly disheartening.

As she tucked them into bed, their wonderful cardboard mattress and singular pillow with an old blanket, she sighed heavily.

            “Li’l ones…” She whispered to them. “I dread the idea of leaving you alone after today’s wonderful discovery.”

            “But… you have to go to the competitions big sis…” replied Kurenai. “So you can get the money!”

            “How could I possibly leave you guys here though?” Akane growled. “I won’t be here to protect you from that creepy guy if he comes back! We can’t rely on mom to be here, and there’s no one I can- “

            “We have Nekomaru!” chimed in Kosuke.

            “Yeah!” agreed Tatsuo. “You told us to run to him anyway, if something happened here!”

            Her gray eyes widened, slowly nodding. Yes… she could rely on Nekomaru for help. His words whispered through her mind again. She smiled, “You’re right.”

            “You know big sis…” Midori spoke up gently, her eyes shining. “Nekomaru… He feels like a nice big brother…”

            “N-not that he replaces you as a big sis!” stuttered Hikari. “He would never replace you Akane! We love you too much!”

            “Wuv you!” giggled Hana.

            “Stupid! Why would she think we would replace her?” commented Haruto with a bemused expression. “That’s silly, she’s our big sis! No one else can beat our sister!”

            Akane pounced onto her siblings in a large bear hug, earning a cheer of laughter from them. She wasn’t going to admit to them, but it meant the world to her to hear them say such a thing. If only they knew how much it meant to her in the end, and how impractical she felt to have even considered the idea once before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have a time skip. Not sure how large of a time skip frankly, but things will start picking up! Toodles!


	13. Chapter 13

            Anytime Akane had to travel far to her next gymnastics competition, she relied on Nekomaru to watch her siblings, whether they stay at his place or he would go check in on them when their mother was out drinking. He always gave them something to talk about when she returned, usually successful with the exception of a few minor losses due to her improvising a routine simply out of boredom, and she was eager to hear their stories as they surrounded her the moment she neared the home. The money she had earned was stored safely in Nekomaru’s apartment, a portion used to patch up holes in the house and purchase more food for the young ones when they needed it.

            Three weeks had passed since they found the name carved in the wall, and there weren’t any incidents to report thus far. It served to offer a false sense of security for Akane, but she dared to hope that everything would return to her definition of normal. Undeniably, to her minor dismay, the twins had informed Nekomaru about their discovery the day they returned home from staying the night. He had remained around them about as much as she did when she was home, true to his word about watching over them and guarding them. Akane grew to trust him completely, not because he was so friendly to her and a fun guy to face in battle, but because of how he treated her siblings.

            It was rare, if not practically impossible to find someone so trustworthy like him in that part of the town. Akane had been on edge about him ever since meeting him, but she grew to trust her settled gut feelings entirely anytime she was around him. He wasn’t a bad person; she understood that and accepted it now. She trained with him every day when she was available, and her siblings always joined them eagerly. It wasn’t hard to tell that they were just excited to see Nekomaru as often as they could, always ready for piggyback rides and climbing all over him when possible. They even began to call him ‘coach’ as well, though Tatsuo and Kosuke occasionally called him ‘big brother Neko’. He was patient with the little rascals, and highly protective of them.

            Akane stretched on the sidelines of the park, watching her siblings dogpile Nekomaru to the ground after chasing him around a playground relentlessly. She smiled to herself, suddenly aware that she hadn’t been bothered by any men recently ever since she met the ultimate manager. The need to escape had decreased significantly, as well as the need to search for food desperately. It was a miraculous change in her eyes, but it didn’t give her reason to significantly relax just in case anything abnormal were to happen. The problems had lessened, but there were still suspicious activities if she kept her eyes open.

            For one, there always seemed to be someone hiding in the shadows for some reason. She tried to not think much about it, but it was starting to bother her recently as her gut instincts began to go crazy. She hadn’t felt that discomforted since the night Tatsuo was suffocated. Anytime she would try to get a good look at the shadowy figure, they would hide behind a tree or walk away. Her immediate though was to give chase, but she would be stopped by an unusual amount of nerves that seemed to tell her to get away. It was annoying.

            So, she would push the feeling aside long enough to keep her sane, though her gaze would always wander in the direction of the mysterious person. It wasn’t long until Nekomaru noticed her brief distractions during her training session, though his comment surprised her.

            “You noticed it too, Akane?”

            Her gray eyes met his, momentarily stunned, “Yeah. You do too?”

            He nodded, frowning deeply, “They’ve been lurking around often. I’ve kept my eyes on them as best as I can, but they seem to know when I look for them. They’re certainly a formidable person whoever they are.”

            Akane snorted, “Well, they’re annoying. I’m going over there to tell them off. Stay with the li’l ones, will you?”

            Nekomaru seemed reluctant, but he understood her intentions. If both of them went, her siblings would be left alone for a brief time, and that was too risky in her eyes. He nodded, looking back at the seven children who chased each other on the playground without a clue to the potential danger around them. Akane marched off in the direction she last saw the figure beside a large tree, slowing as she neared it. They could have been there, waiting for her, ready to ambush her. She glanced back at Nekomaru, making sure he was paying attention to his surroundings while keeping a watchful eye on her as well in case something went wrong, before she moved around the tree.

            No one was there.

            Akane sighed irritably, searching the area. Her eyes landed on the tree before her, a series of marks catching her attention.

            A heart was carved into the trunk with three symbols scratched inside of it: K+A. The ultimate gymnast eyed it for some time before she shrugged, unable to decipher the markings aside from someone rudely cutting into a tree. However, as much as she wanted to simply dismiss it, her gut was going crazy the longer she stared at it. She patted her abdomen, setting her other hand on the carving. Electricity seemed to jolt through her body the moment her fingers grazed the wood, pulling her hand away instantly. Sudden movement to her left had her on edge. She felt taunted, threatened, and overall irritated.

            Something light hit her leg from a stray breeze, and her instinct was to kick, dragging her leg up to whack the tree and crush whatever had hit her. While it admittedly hurt her more than anything else, she was relieved to find that her attacker was just a loose piece of paper. Grabbing it, Akane prepared to crumble it up and toss it aside, but black ink scribbled messily over the front page caused her some hesitation. She chose to read it as she returned to Nekomaru and her siblings, though the words served to confuse her even more.

_Why are you with **them,** and not me? That must change now._

            Akane clicked her tongue, unconfident on how to handle the random letter, until she heard a scream of pain from one of her siblings. The paper was forgotten instantly, tossed aside as she began to run, stopping over a grounded Midori and startled Nekomaru who was chastising a grouchy Haruto on the side.

            A sigh of relief left Akane as she realized what was going on between the two. In their playing, Midori had probably been pushed to the ground a bit too roughly by Haruto in their game, and landed harshly on the ground causing her to shout in pain. She helped the girl to her feet, brushing off the dust as her other siblings surrounded them. Her bottom lip was sticking out, though there weren’t any signs of tears.

            “You’re a jerk Haruto!” Midori complained angrily. “You don’t push people to the ground when you play tag! You just have to tap their arm or something!”

            “I didn’t even push you that hard!” Haruto barked back. “You’re so overdramatic, suck it up princess!”

            “Hey, hey, be nice you two.” Reprimanded Akane, pinching both of their cheeks to earn wails of distress from them. “What have I told you about family?”

            Anytime she punished her siblings in some way, they were fast to give up on any sort of fight they may have been dealing with.

            “I know, I know!” shouted Haruto pleadingly as he grabbed at her wrist. “We should care about and love each other!”

            “Our family is all we have to rely on!” added Midori, swatting at her older sisters’ hand for freedom.

            “That’s right.” Akane grinned as she released them, watching as they rubbed their red marked cheeks cantankerously. “Now what do you say to each other?”

            Their eyes met bitterly, still rubbing their cheeks, but eventually they both released long melodramatic sighs and hugged each other. While their apologies were soft spoken, Akane could accept it since it was still said rather sincerely, patting their heads adoringly the moment they parted. With the conflict over, they resumed their session of tag like nothing had even happened. Akane shook her head, laughing under her breath.

            “Did you find anything by the tree?” asked Nekomaru once the children were out of earshot.

            “Just a heart carving with some letters in the tree and some piece of paper that I don’t really remember what was written on it.” The ultimate gymnast hummed, not bothering to try and recall the words she had read. “It didn’t seem very important anyway. I threw it aside when I heard Midori shout.”

            “I see…” Nekomaru nodded slowly, though he seemed perturbed. “But… a carving in the tree? It could be some careless couple that don’t give a crap about nature, but… it bothers me for some reason.”

            “It did make my gut go crazy.” Akane admitted. “I don’t know why… it’s not like it was that name from back then…”

            “The name that was carved in your home?”

            “Mmhmm.”

            Nekomaru’s fist clenched unconsciously just thinking about it. Ever since the twins had told him everything when she went off to a competition, he had been on the edge. The three weeks had passed in peace, but he couldn’t shake off the abnormal feeling of dread anytime they went outside. Matters only worsened with the appearance of the mysterious stranger. It was all too coincidental.

            “What if it’s him?” Nekomaru dared to ask. “What if it’s that Kuraim guy?”

            “Geez, coach, you actually remember that creeps name?” Akane huffed, rather amused more than anything. “I highly doubt it, he hasn’t shown up ever since that night.”

            “That doesn’t mean he’s gone for good.” He stated cautiously. “He could be planning something.”

           “Well if he is, he’s really slow at planning and should find a different hobby.” Akane ridiculed. “C’mon coach, I’ve been chased by all kinds of guys, and all of them give up eventually. Besides, he’s probably too chicken to show his face; he knows I’ll beat the crap out of him. Plus, you’re here too!”

           Nekomaru wasn’t pleased, but he chose to let the problem go for now, facing the direction where her family continued to play. He searched the park, officially paranoid about the safety of everyone, staring into the shadows of distant buildings. Even with Akane prodding him and insisting that everything was okay, he didn’t let up.

            If only they knew just how much of a hazard they were barely avoiding under his watchful gaze.

* * *

 

            Kuraim growled to himself, fists clenched so tight that his nails cut into his skin. It was so annoying, so damn aggravating to see his love with another man, and it was worse when he was constantly around to guard her family. His plan had been on hold for so long because of _that man._ He was too weak to even think about confronting him, especially after the beating he received from him in their first encounter. All he needed was one kid, just one of those damn brats for his plan to go into motion. His fingers tapped on his pocket irritably; his plan wouldn’t go to waste.

            He had carved the symbol of love between Akane and him on the tree and started writing down his frustration on a paper when she began to approach him. There were too many witnesses to see their interactions, so he disappeared, hiding in the shadows he learned to blend into easily after years of unconscious practice. Leaning on a building, he watched the group, tapping his fingers rapidly on his pocket, glaring at the male who persisted to be around his woman.

            It irked him to see Akane toss aside his note without a care in the world. How could she be so dense? She wasn’t listening to him! He deserved time with her, not that brute!

            Unless…

_Unless she loved him?_

            Kuraim slammed a fist into the building, teeth bared, “That bitch! She thinks she can leave me? Me!?”

            He began to pace. Pacing kept him from screaming. Pacing kept him from killing the next person he ran into, but it was so _tempting._ He loved his knives, those that were poisoned, and those that were simply sharp for cutting into flesh. But for once, he contemplated the handiness of a gun. Fighting from the distance…

            Kuraim smiled to himself. A gun… why didn’t he think of that before? His plan could work with that. No one would dare approach him, no one would stop him out of fear of being shot dead. With no one able to stop him, he could move right along. Perfect.

            “Absolute perfection!”

            He started to giggle, a crazed look about him before he cleared his throat suddenly, everything about him changing in an instant. His shoulders relaxed, expression eased. There was no need to go psychotic with blood lust. He was a normal man, with normal desires and dreams. Those dreams would soon be achieved.

            And if that brute of a man dared to get in his way at any point… Kuraim knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill him the instant his finger touched the trigger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Took a bit longer with this chapter, but I was attending a wedding as a bridesmaid for one of my dearest friends! Hopefully this chapter wasn't too bad, I'm trying to collect all of my thoughts. Til next time!


	14. Chapter 14

            “Ow… owowow…” Akane hissed as her leg dipped into the steaming hot water of Nekomaru’s bath. It had been another week since the strange day in the park.

            She had lost to Nekomaru yet again in another training session, this time being knocked unconscious since she refused to give up no matter how shaky her stature became or how pathetic she began to hit. Her legs were covered in bumps and bruises, and she had received a large cut over her head after slamming into a tree one too many times. No matter how loud her siblings cheered for her, she couldn’t get a hit on the ultimate manager.

            He carried her to his home where she later woke up in his bed, head wrapped up as her siblings surrounded her, mostly Kurenai worried, while the others seemed ready to tease her for her loss. She growled with fury once she realized what had happened to her, swearing that she would win next time, most definitely. Nekomaru had done a number to her, she found that out quickly when she thought she could spring off the bed full of energy after her nap, only to fall face first into the floor. She was beyond irritated by that point, refusing help from Nekomaru and the twins. Upon demanding to have ‘it’ done to her, Nekomaru only sighed and insisted she needed to relax in hot water for some time to ‘cool off’.

            It didn’t make a lick of sense to her; how could she cool off in hot water?

            Yet, she had no choice but to give in to his demands. His bath wasn’t exactly new to her; she had washed her siblings in it over the past week after Nekomaru insisted that bathing in the river wasn’t hygienic. Though she tried to brush it off, her siblings won over her as they excitedly chirped with want for the bath they never got to experience. They loved the warmth the water offered them, and after getting each of them completely clean, Akane had to frantically scrub the tub down once she realized there was a ring of filth coating the sides.

            She didn’t expect them to be so dirty.

            As she finally submerged her body into the water that reached over her chest, a long and content sigh fell from her lips. She realized she never had the chance to bathe herself since she had been so busy scrubbing her siblings and the tub instead. She leaned against the edge, moaning in delight, eyes closing, resting for a few minutes. The steam of the bath filled the room, fogging the mirror, opening her pores, making her sweat.

            If only she had a chance to fully relax even a little.

            “Akane!” Midori came barging into the bathroom, though it didn’t startle her one bit. One of her eyes lazily opened to the girl who sat beside the tub, a large grin on her face. “Wow, it’s toasty in here! How are you feeling? Isn’t the water great!?”

            “Mmhmm…” Akane nodded, lost in euphoria. “What do you need, kid…?”

            “Nothing, I just wanted to see you.” Midori giggled. “I thought I would try to scare you by busting inside, but I guess I failed again.”

            “You gotta try harder than that…”

            “Big sis!” Kosuke ran into the bathroom, followed by Tatsuo who was playing with his scarf. Akane sighed, shutting her eye again, but she was smiling now. It wouldn’t be her family if they didn’t cling to her side every second of the day when they could. “Tell Tatsuo that I can wear his scarf too!”

            “No, you can’t!” protested Tatsuo, hugging the cloth to his chest protectively. “Big bro Neko gave it to me, not you!”

            “Boys, boys… no need to fuss.” alleviated their eldest sister. “Kosuke, if you want your own scarf, we can get you one later today. How’s that sound?”

            “Really!?” The boisterous boy shouted, dashing into the kitchen and striking a heroic pose. “Awesome! Then _I’ll_ have the newer scarf, and it will be way better than your silly one!”

            “Whatever! At least mine came from coach!” growled Tatsuo, chasing after his brother and tackling him to the ground. Hearing the two were giggling up a storm as they rolled around in a play fight, Akane deemed her interference to break them up was unnecessary.

            “Speaking of coach, where did he go?” She inquired from Midori.

            “He went on a short run,” was the girls reply, rocking back and forth on the ground. “I think he said you didn’t work him enough.”

            Akane grumbled, turning away from her sister, “I don’t care what he says. I’ll beat him next time, that’s a promise.”

            Before Midori could say anything else to further damage her self-esteem, she sank under the water, letting it soak her hair and fill her nose. The heat stung her head injury, but she stayed under for as long as she could, allowing the water to embrace her in its wonderful warmth. She sank to the bottom, waiting until she could no longer hold her breath before she shot back out, taking in a deep breath of air. A plucky cheer tore itself from her voice, her fingers pulling her hair back out of her face. Her eyes drifted blearily back to Midori, confused when her sister was no longer at her side, but recognizing a series of voices though her muddled hearing.

            She washed herself quickly, running her fingers through her hair to untangle any knots then dove back under the water to remove any suds from her body and hair. It was refreshing to have a fully clean feeling about her. Wiping at her eyes, Akane climbed out of the bath in search of a towel, listening as her siblings became increasingly louder for an unknown reason. Initially, she ignored it until she managed to remove the water in her ears.

            “The bathroom door is wide open!”

            “Big brother Neko, don’t look that way!”

            “A-Akane!!”

            The ultimate gymnast barely turned her head as she patted her hair dry, gray eyes locking on a scarlet red faced and wide eyed Nekomaru. He stood frozen at the doorway that was left open, a towel around his neck to catch the sweat that ran down his face from his quick jog. Akane stared at him, unfazed by his presence, but rather amused by his flustered reactions. It was highly unlike any other man that looked her way.

            “Y-you should close the door you know!” Nekomaru stumbled over his words, everything about him screaming discomfort and shame.

            “Midori’s the one that opened it.” She shrugged nonchalantly, continuing to dry herself off. “It’s her fault that it was left open too probably.”

            “Coach Nekomaru, it isn’t polite to stare at big sis’ boobies!” yapped Haruto from behind him. “Don’t be a pervert unless you’re gonna touch her! Or hey, give her a Benjamin first, _then_ maybe you can be a pervert!”

            Akane didn’t think he could have turned any redder than he already was. She watched him from the corner of her eye, trying her best to hold back a teasing smile, “Y’know, if you really don’t like seeing my body, you _could_ close the door yourself, Nekomaru.”

            He never acted more hastily than he did in that moment, slamming the door closed and leaving Akane to burst into laughter. She could hear everyone else laughing at him too, the mortified male desperately trying to shush each child before leaving the building again to escape the horror he had to deal with. Akane laughed so hard that she fell to the ground and held her stomach because it began to hurt from performing the unceasing action.

            When she did manage to lessen herself into a pile of giggles, Akane left the bathroom fully clothed once more, searching briefly for her coach in the home, before shrugging and deciding to wait for his return. Hana clung to her leg for fun, enjoying a ride each time she took a step, before Tatsuo jumped on her other leg and Kosuke pounced onto her back. Normally, when she was put into this situation, Akane could run around rather easily. However, the moment Kosuke jumped onto her back, she found herself moving slower than usual. It could have been due to her being beaten up hours before, but the aches and soreness didn’t bother her too excessively. She looked over her darling siblings, suddenly aware that they had grown a tad bit in height and weight.

            “Hey, you guys are growing!” She complimented. “Soon you’ll all be so much bigger and stronger than me.”

            “Yay!” cheered Hikari. “Maybe we can get stronger than Coach Nekomaru too!”

            “Well first you gotta beat me!” Akane grinned. “The old man is a beast, you’ve seen it. You have to get through me before you face him!”

            “Then we’ll beat you now! CHARGE!!!” Haruto suddenly attacked, leaping onto her sideways. She was bombarded by all of the children, even shy Kurenai joining the barrage. Akane held her ground, planting her feet firmly as she wrestled with the children, tossing them gently onto the bed when she was able to pry them off her, then tickling all of them until they were begging for mercy.

            Nekomaru still hadn’t returned from his escape even after their half hour of leisure. Akane conceitedly smirked to herself. Perhaps Nekomaru could beat her in training, but he didn’t stand a chance against her slender body when it was bare. It crossed her mind to possibly use it to her advantage someday.

            “Well, I don’t know where coach went, but let’s go ahead and get you a scarf, Kosuke.” She announced to the eager boy, who cheered and scrambled off the bed, instantly followed by his brothers and sisters who began to chatter with excitement about going out to do something other than train or food shop.

            Akane grabbed some money from the drawer where Nekomaru hid her winnings, grinning widely as she corralled the children out of the apartment in search of some new accessories that they would surely appreciate. Additionally, purchasing a few more Band-Aids was probably in her best interest as well, especially after Nekomaru had used a majority on her already.

* * *

 

            Kosuke was beyond thrilled to have his own scarf, one of a deep purple color with black diamond patterns etched in it. Haruto and Hikari took interest in similar, but different colored bandannas that they wrapped around their foreheads and pretended to have powerful bad-ass military personas on the way back to Nekomaru’s. Midori asked for a new pair of shoes so she could run around more comfortably, her old ones tattered beyond repair with her toes nearly sticking out. Kurenai timidly requested a large red flower to adorn her long hair, given a red and a blue one, while Hana clung to a stuffed rabbit she happened to find misplaced in the shoe section.

            Akane knew she needed to be saving money instead of spending it, but she longed to spoil her siblings as much as she could. In addition to their chosen items, she bought all of them lollipops of various flavors to eat on the way, getting a blueberry one for herself. They stayed out longer than they anticipated, the sun beginning to sink over the horizon, so Akane had the kids walk a little faster than usual. Luckily, the children understood the dangers of the darkness, so they were willing to pick up the pace, lifting Hana onto Akane’s back. The siblings had just passed an alleyway when two men shifted out of the shadows and in front of Akane, stopping her in her path. She shifted the sucker in her mouth, feeling her body grow tense.

            “Oy, girly.” The one on the right holding a bottle of beer, spoke up first, catching her siblings’ ear and getting them to stop and turn back to their sisters nervously. They knew just as well as Akane when something was about to go wrong. It certainly wasn’t their first rodeo. “We know you’ve got money, hand it over, nice and easy.”

            Akane wasn’t sure why, but she vaguely recognized the two strangers, assuming that they had likely been brought to her home by her stepmother, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She briefly glanced into the alley, searching for any other strangers that may jump out, and found herself cursing when she could see the shadow of another male.

            The second one, wearing a dilapidated baseball cap, stepped closer, “Don’t play dumb with us, bitch.” He brandished a knife from his pocket, smiling roguishly. “How else would you buy your little brats new things like shoes and scarves?”

            “B-big sis?” Midori chirped timorously from behind them, earning the first males’ attention as he also drew out a bayonet, gulping down a swig of his alcohol.

            “Hey!” Akane barked at him viciously, carefully sliding Hana off her back and to the floor. “Eyes on me, leave her out of this. Go, li’l ones. Get out of here, now.”

            “But you haven’t introduced ‘em to us.” bargained the drunk. “Let’s start with that, shall we? I’m Ginjiro, and this is me brother, Jomei. Let’s start with you, what’s yer name, sweetheart?”

            Akane scowled, frantically pushing Hana away from her as she began to cling to her skirt out of panic, “My name is none of your business. Get the hell away from us!”

            “Yer just as rude as you were when we first met.” grumbled Jomei. “Yer legs are still fucked up for some reason too.”

            A brief recognition crossed Akane’s mind as she recalled the two men indeed as people that had been brought home the very day her leg was stabbed. Her scowl deepened, noticing a shift of movement from the shadows. Why was luck never on her side when it came to people remembering her? All she wanted was a bit of family time.

            “H-hey!” Haruto bleated a pitiful shout. “Leave my big sis alone you creeps!”

            “Zip it munchkin, before I cut yer tongue out!” snarled Ginjiro, pointing his knife back at the boy, and Akane swore she could see red at his threat.

            In his brief distraction with Haruto’s proclamation, she pounced at him, knocking him to the ground as she demanded her family to grab Hana and escape. Before any of them had a chance to act, Hana screamed in terror as Jomei grabbed her by the arm, lifting her off the ground. Any other person that was near them was suddenly alarmed, eyes locked onto the scene before them.

            Akane snapped her neck around hearing her cry, leering dangerously at her new chosen target when a sharp pain blossomed in her side, earning a grunt of agony. Her adrenaline pushed the pain away, allowing her to fight on. She pushed herself off Ginjiro before he could plunge his knife into her again, sweeping her leg out to swipe Jomei’s legs from under him. Hana wailed the moment her body slammed into the ground, and Akane melted into a cartwheel, bringing her leg down fiercely on the males’ arm, hearing the bone snap on impact and gaining Hana’s freedom as he lost all sensation in his arm, screaming bloody murder. The youngest sibling weakly scurried to Hikari as she ran around the treacherous scene, grabbing onto her weeping baby sister and returning to the large majority of her family.

            The crowds began to escape the area, no one looking back. They were all selfish… only out for their own survival.

            “Get out of here li’l ones!” Akane yelled at them. “Get to Nekomaru!”

            They seemed to comprehend her request, most of them reluctantly backing away from the brawl, but were unable to tear their eyes away out of concern for their sister. What mattered the most to Akane was getting them as far away as possible so they wouldn’t become hostages. She returned her attention to her assailants, side-stepping away from Jomei and spitting out her lollipop as he grabbed his broken arm, howling with anger and suffering. Ginjiro scrambled to his feet, stepping protectively over his wounded brother, a crazed look in his dark eyes.

            “How _dare_ you hurt me brother!” He snarled at her, and he charged at her, swinging his bayonet wildly.

            Akane dodged easily, catching his wrist and driving her elbow into his forearm to destroy his hold on the weapon, before kicking him back in the chest. He stumbled, tripping over his brother’s body. Her siblings cheered for her.

            “Kick their ass sis!” Haruto roared shamelessly, standing the closest of his family.

            Akane nearly shouted at them to run again, when her body was tackled to the ground by yet another stranger. She had forgotten about the third shady person in the alley, wrestling for dominance as they rolled around on the ground. The cheers of her siblings became worried exclamations, she knew Ginjiro was undoubtedly going after them now that she was distracted. She heard Kurenai scream as she was pinned briefly by the newcomer, gasping when she saw Haruto pounce onto his back, hitting his head repeatedly.

            “Let her go!” He demanded. “Get off my sister!”

            Hikari and Midori stood guard in front of their siblings as Ginjiro retrieved his weapon and neared them menacingly. Jomei pushed himself back up, seeking revenge on the woman that broke his arm that was limp at his side. Akane grit her teeth, fighting to save her family from the three men. The newcomer reached back, grabbing Haruto by the shirt, and throwing him to the ground. His brief distraction enabled Akane to bend her legs and kick him off her, pulling her brother to his feet and pushing him away to a building before going after Ginjiro.

            “Get over here!” Jomei jumped in her path, swinging his knife poorly with his weaker arm. She side stepped, the edge scratching her cheek, and she bounded onto Ginjiro’s back, putting him in a choke hold as she dragged him down.

            “I said get out of here kids!” She bellowed to the children. “Go, now!”

            “But Akane- “

            “GO!!”

            Hikari began to push her siblings back, Haruto joining them shortly holding his arm as they began to flee the area. With them finally safer than before, Akane could maintain her full focus on the drunkards, keeping Ginjiro in a choke hold until she was forced to avoid Jomei again. She bounced to her feet, backing away as the three surrounded her. Three against one, it was hardly fair. Her side began to pulse with aching, her blood warm and staining her white shirt crimson.

            Life wasn’t fair anyway. At least not to her.

            Akane brought her fists up, fire in her eyes and raging in her spirit. She waited for one of them to make a move, standing her ground fiercely, eyes darting to each of theirs.

            “Oy, who are you mate?” Ginjiro addressed the third stranger. “Me brother and I passed you in the alley. What business do you have with her?”

            “None whatsoever.” Was his snickering slurred response. “I just want a piece of the action when we knock her out.”

            Akane snorted to herself. Another stupid drunk. They could try to take her down, but she wasn’t going to fall without a fight.

            “Then take me brother’s knife.” Ginjiro smirked. “The bitch broke his arm, you’ll do better with it.”

            “No worries boys, I’ve got my own.” The drunkard reassured.

            Jomei gripped his weapon unreservedly, seething resentment clear in his expression as he glared at Akane. He would be the most useless fighter of the trio since he didn’t have the use of both of his arms, but he would be a nuisance all the same. Ginjiro moved first, launching at the ultimate gymnast with his brother right at his side. Akane deflected his attack, palming his forearm away then grabbing Jomei’s broken arm and jerking him forward into the building behind her, before spinning around to swat Ginjiro away again.

            The newcomer joined in, drawing his pocket knife and swiping at her chest and barely grazing the cloth of her shirt. She jumped into the air immediately after, her foot slamming into the back of his hand, the knife flying free as he shouted. There was no doubt in her mind that she either broke or sprained his wrist from the harsh attack, grinning triumphantly to herself when he stepped away squeezing his bruising wrist. Her body acted on instinct anytime she was approached, beating the men down brutally, guarding herself when necessary. They managed to cut her arms and legs occasionally, far more persistent than she hoped they would be.

            Jomei was knocked to the ground behind her, ankle fragmented after she slammed her foot into his achilles, Ginjiro covered in bruises and swellings from her vicious strikes, his lips busted, nose shattered and bleeding, and the stranger had received a black eye and potential broken knee after his leg was bent sharply the wrong way. Akane panted, feeling lightheaded after the wound on her side continued to bleed endlessly, worsened from her frenzied state of mind. She hoped that they would have given up by now, seeing they were standing on shaky legs anymore, but their wrath kept them going, desiring to see her blood spattered on the ground, lifeless.

            “C’mon guys, give it up…” Akane bargained, not wanting to potentially have to kill the men to escape. “You won’t beat me, I’m not going to let you.”

            “Shut up you whore.” Ginjiro spat, wobbling in place. “There ain’t no way we would let you go after what you’ve done to us. You deserve to die.”

            “Besides… you’ve almost reached your limit too.” commented the third male, holding all his weight on his healthy leg. “You’re slowing down. All that blood you’ve lost, it’s catching up to you now, isn’t it?”

            She swallowed, but shook her head defiantly, “I don’t slow down. Nothing stops me.”

            “Well that changes today.” smirked Ginjiro, his eyes looking past her for a split second. Akane didn’t have the chance to counter as her neck turned, recognizing an immediate threat in the form of Jomei.

            Her upper arm was grabbed from behind by him, and in her swift struggle to slip out of his grasp, she wheezed as Ginjiro’s knife plunged into her shoulder, followed all too shortly by Jomei driving his own into her back side just under her ribs. She staggered forward, dropping to the ground at the newcomer’s feet who mocked her, kicking her in the stomach though it certainly hurt him to place weight on his other leg. Akane felt the air rush out of her lungs at once, gagging as she hugged her stomach and coughed.

            “You see?” Ginjiro slammed a foot onto the gash in her shoulder, earning a scream from her. “Yer not as indestructible as you think you are. Everyone bleeds the same, everyone get tired and weak. No single person, no _woman_ can take down three men!”

            Akane regarded him with a glare, wincing when Jomei pinned one of her legs down, the stranger handling the other. Each breath she respired stirred the dirt under her nose, stray pebbles digging into her cheek. Warmth trickled down her forehead, the wound on her head had reopened from the fall. Her vision was starting to blur, the loss of blood becoming more than she was used to. She was frustrated, losing to weapons was intolerable as it was, but losing to a bunch of drunks was even more degrading. However, she had kept her siblings safe, and managed to get them out of there without any severe injuries.

            Still, she wasn’t done fighting. Akane was not one to stop rebelling until she was knocked unconscious.

            Her body squirmed ferociously, free arm pressing into the ground to help lift herself against Ginjiro’s weight. His foot lifted, and slammed down on the back of her head in response. Her forehead struck the ground harshly, and she shouted when his other foot crushed her hand. She could feel the third male and Jomei press the tips of their knives against her skin, promising to stab into the back of her legs if she tried to escape. Reluctantly, Akane ceased her movement, and with that, her adrenaline came to a bitter end, introducing the entirety of her wounds to her nerves as the pain surged through her body.

            “Now be a good girl, will you?” Jomei snickered from behind. “We’ll let you live if you just behave and do as we say.”

            She could feel calloused hands run up her thighs slowly, dust tickling the back of her throat. If she coughed, they would kill her. If she screamed, they would kill her. There wasn’t any winning this time. Her skirt was slowly pushed up, exposing her panties. She closed her eyes and waited.

_BANG._

            The hands on her rear tensed, then suddenly slid backwards and away. Faint screams could be heard in the distance; citizens who were close enough to hear the terrible racket. Ginjiro shouted something loudly, his feet lifting off her. The weight on her legs disappeared instantly, Jomei also shouting something incoherent.

_BANG._

            Akane heard something fall beside her, tiredly turning her head to view her surroundings. A body lay near her, unmoving. She recognized it as Ginjiro, a bullet wound to his head.

            “ _Brother!!”_ Jomei’s voice wailed out. “Please, don’t- “

_BANG._

_BANG._

            Another thud at her feet. Akane knew the sound of a gunshot all too well, but the noise resounded in her ears. It sounded like it was only feet away, but she was too disoriented to search. Seeing that everything was silent, however, she also knew that she had been rescued. Her arms pushed her up feebly, the coughs escaping her rapidly to expel the dust in her throat and lungs. Each convulsion hurt her side and back iniquitously.

            Akane twisted back somewhat, viewing Jomei and the stranger dead with bullet wounds to their chest. She felt nauseous; never having been this close to freshly killed bodies. Her eyes searched the area for the mysterious hero, her immediate assumption unable to fall on Nekomaru. He had saved her many times before, but he wasn’t someone to use a weapon. It was something she deeply respected about him, and there was no way he would ever resort to it.

            There wasn’t a single person in sight from what she could tell. Akane swallowed back a mixture of bile and blood, climbing to her feet and avoiding any further eye contact with the deceased. She moved to a building for support, becoming increasingly light headed with every step she took. It was a strange sensation. Everything hurt, but also felt numb. Her heart was beating rapidly, yet slowing down simultaneously. The world was tilting, but seemed normal too. Akane leaned against the wall, breathless. Walking was difficult, like she was a year-old baby. Her hearing became garbled, listening to the thump of her heart and her ragged breaths. The taste of blood lingered on her tongue.

            This sensation… was it was death felt like?

            “…Li’l ones…” Akane wheezed for her siblings, more than aware that they were far away from her.

            They were her first and foremost thought. Had they made it to Nekomaru’s place? She pressed forward a few more steps before stopping again, a dizzy spell falling over her. She glanced back at the ground behind her, following the trail of blood she was leaving. There was so much…

            “…”

            Akane looked forward, unsure if she had heard something or someone through the constant ringing in her ears. Her legs moved again, nearly collapsing under her by the fourth step. She wanted to see her siblings again, to make sure they were all safe at Nekomaru’s. They were probably crying, worried about her well-being as they always were. She could already see it in her head; how they would smile when she would enter the room and give them all big hugs, how they would complement her strength and kickass abilities. Silly kids…

            Big sis was a strong one… she wasn’t beaten so easily…

            “…Huh…?”

            Akane didn’t know that she was on the ground until her eyes opened once more to the warm dusty sidewalk. She didn’t even remember falling over. Getting back to her feet was more challenging than the last time, her entire body pressed into the wall now. It was getting harder to breathe for some reason. Her head lifted wearily, eyes catching movement in the distance.

            Was… someone running towards her?

            Her fist could barely remain clenched, the effort requiring too much energy that she no longer had. Anyone could take her down now if they wanted to. She tried to focus, making out the color black on the majority of the person’s clothes. From what she could tell, their run was peculiarly familiar.

            “Akane!”

            Their voice was too… and as they reached her, she smiled, loosening her fist. He was seriously late this time in regards to helping her out, but… she didn’t mind.

            “Hey… coach…” Akane fell into his chest almost immediately, unable to hold herself up any longer. She felt his arms wrap around her, lifting her from the ground, his voice failing to reach her ears. Wet droplets hit her face as she slowly faded into darkness.

            Dying was an incredibly inexplicable sensation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooo boy, this was a stressful chapter. There will be a lot of crazy things happening, so be prepared!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's clear that no matter how many times I re-write this chapter, I will never be satisfied with the end result. UGH. So, sorry for the long wait, but here you go. Hope it's not TOO bad.

            The contrast between dying and living proved to be polar opposites. Death was a never-ending darkness that smothered and suffocated, refusing to release the body that was trapped in limbo. It took her a long time to comprehend that this was what it felt like to be stuck in death. Akane had drifted endlessly, unable to feel, smell, taste, or see anything except an extending pool of pitch black. She couldn’t tell if she was breathing or if her heart was beating, but whatever was happening to her, she absolutely hated it.

            A place where she couldn’t move was restricting enough, but this was too much to handle.

            Her thoughts were ambiguous as if she had no reception to her own brain, moving her fingers was like asking a paralyzed person to stand on their own two feet. Every so often she could swear someone was speaking a garbled language to her, frantic, sometimes screaming. Her body would jerk suddenly, like she was punched harshly in the gut, and she would want to fight back, but she couldn’t get her limp arms to move.

            Death was abysmal. Akane had already dreaded the idea before after living in a place where people died on a daily basis from starvation or murder, but this confirmed her unconscious fears even further. No matter how much she tried to escape, freedom seemed to remain out of her grasp. Another jolt ran through her body, Akane cringing with agony. If only she could scream.

            Then there was life. A flash of white surrounding her with warmth, blinding her through closed eyelids and seeming to wrench her out of whatever lost state she was in. Her senses flooded back to her instantaneously; scent, taste, hearing, touch, sight, all of them rushing over her overpoweringly. The paralysis over her seemed to dissipate piece by piece as she felt like she was falling, a repetitive and annoying beeping noise chirping in second intervals. The noise was growing louder and louder the further she seemed to fall, voices and other machinery beginning to mix with the sounds.

            Suddenly, it all stopped as abruptly as it started. Akane felt her back hit something soft, sighing with new breath filling her lungs. Her bizarre expedition had left her exhausted, all she wanted to do was sleep. Simultaneously, she wanted to contemplate everything that had just happened to her, unable to piece together the moments that lead her to such a state. There would be plenty of time to think later though.

            First, she needed to rest. Akane nuzzled her cheek against something silky, feeling her body go limp again. The light was warm and comforting, and she was able to drift into a peaceful slumber in a matter of time.

* * *

 

            Nekomaru had been waiting for hours with Akane’s siblings surrounding him. They had insisted to follow him after finding him in his apartment and telling them of their sisters’ troubles. While he had wanted them to remain behind, there wasn’t any time to argue with them if Akane’s life was in danger. So he ran, each sibling chasing after him screaming for him to hurry until he had certainly outran them.

            It was better that he did, if they saw Akane collapse the way she did, if they had to see the amount of blood she had lost, if they saw the three men deceased only feet away, they would have surely panicked. Holding her tight to his chest enabled him to hide some of the bloody evidence as he frantically guided them to a hospital as hastily as he could without letting them out of his sight this time. Akane’s body grew cold by the time they arrived, and from what he could tell, she was barely breathing.

            Some of the nurses recognized him instantly, he had been there many times before, but once they noticed the nearly lifeless woman in his arms, the alarms went off. Akane was snatched away from him, laid on a bed and pulled away into the emergency room. Convincing her siblings to stay behind while she was carted away was the difficult part. Midori screamed at him repeatedly, kicking him when he held her back after she tried to enter the room. She was even more frantic when she finally noticed how blood soaked his shirt was. He was given a temporary shirt to wear so he wouldn’t get blood everywhere, his jacket and tank top taken to be washed. The siblings were shouting at him, at the nurses running past them with gauzes and medicines, at themselves for not being able to help Akane when she needed them the most, before they all broke down and began to cry. Even little Hana, who could barely comprehend half of what was happening, soaked in the distress of it all and wailed with her family. It was excruciating to witness and stressful to experience.

            Nekomaru had to force himself to relax after a while of bustling about, feeling his chest begin to ache from all the insanity and panic that crowded the air. He pressed a hand to his chest tightly, corralling the siblings into the waiting area and squeezing all of them in tight comforting hugs, breathing deeply and inconsistently. Kurenai noticed his winces of distress, and despite her own tearful weeps, she checked on him again and again. She lifted her hand to where his heart was after he embraced her and wiped at her tears, fingers touching just under his ribs. He grimaced, flinching away from her.

            It was not because it hurt to be touched, but because he came to realize that he had never told any of them about his condition. Everything about this taxing situation was making it act up gravely, heart beating irregularly and clenching painfully. They didn’t need anything else to worry about. He grit his teeth, insisting that everything was okay as he tried to keep a straight face. Her eyes told him she didn’t believe a word he said, but she let the conversation go, dropping her hand to her side. She was way too empathetically intelligent for her age.

            He had acted as a pillow for a majority of them after their crying had eventually subsided. Once a nurse had informed them that Akane would survive the ordeal with plenty of rest, they were able to calm down enough to find minor slumber against him. Unfortunately, none of them were allowed to see her yet. The twins rested on both sides of him in a chair, Hana in Hikari’s arms while Tatsuo was in Haruto’s hold. Kosuke had curled up at his feet, using his scarf as a makeshift pillow on his foot, while Kurenai leaned against his other leg, drifting in and out of sleep. Midori was pacing back and forth, waiting for permission to see her sister. All they wanted was to see her for themselves. Only then would they feel better.

            Nekomaru leaned his head back into the wall, staring at the ceiling. Being in the waiting area was an odd experience; he was usually the one being sent to a room for a checkup. Hospitals could be considered his second home ever since he was young. Many of the nurses knew him there, he knew someone would ask about his health eventually. His heart was weak, defective since birth. It hadn’t bothered him a great deal in the past month, maybe it somewhat ached when he trained with Akane, but it was never alarming. With everything happening so abruptly, it made its crude return to remind him that he wasn’t as strong as he physically appeared.

            It also reminded him that he didn’t have a lot of time left.

            His eyes closed, he didn’t wish to think about it anymore, but it was something he had to tell Akane someday. He sighed, feeling Kurenai shift against him again while Midori stopped pacing. Her hand brushed his knee, gaining his attention as he looked at her, only to notice her gaze was on an approaching nurse.

            “Mr. Nidai,” The nurse smiled warmly at him, and he nodded in acknowledgement, recognizing her as one of the people that often treated him. “How are you feeling?”

            “I’m… fine.” He answered tiredly. “Waiting out here instead of in there for once.”

            “So I see.” She responded with a nod. “You seem to be doing alright too.”

             It was clear she wanted to inquire about his health, but she wasn’t blind to the children surrounding him. He had little to no intention of moving from his chair and interrupting their slumber to converse with her anyway. Hikari nuzzled his arm, sighing in her sleep as she found a new comfortable position to lay in. Her movement earned a whine from Hana, which seemed to signal each of the siblings to her discomfort as they began to wake up slowly to check on their baby sister. Nekomaru looked over each child as they groggily came to.

            Midori spoke up impatiently, “When can we see our sister?”

            Her question alerted the family, their heads lifting from Nekomaru’s body eagerly like meerkats popping out of their holes, wide awake in a matter of seconds. They stared at the nurse expectantly, eyes wide with hope. The nurse’s smile was gentle.

            “Actually, you can see her now. She’s slowly waking up.”

            Nekomaru jumped out of his seat, the kids scrambling to their feet as well. They rushed past the nurse, making their way blindly through the halls, looking through each closed curtain until Nekomaru finally caught a glimpse of her. He froze in place, but the youngsters scurried past him, surrounding her bedside. They watched their sister as her eyes fought to open themselves. Midori reached out, holding Akane’s hand tightly.

            “Big sis…?” Kosuke whispered to her, eyes locked on the I.V. that intruded her arm.

            “Can you hear us?” Hikari asked from the other side where her heart monitor chirped to the beat of her heart.

            Akane’s face contorted slightly, head rolling to one side, “L-l’il… ones…?”

            “Big sis!” Haruto leaned onto the bed, tenderly rubbing her arm. Tears were falling over his face. “We know you can do it! Please wake up!”

            Her eyes slowly fluttered open, then squeezed shut again, “G-guys… not so loud… My head… hurts…”

            Nekomaru stepped inside the small room, sliding the curtain closed behind him and standing at the foot of the bed. Akane’s eyes tried to open again, briefly meeting his before closing again.

            “C-coach…?” She confirmed his presence softly. “What… happened? Where… am I?”

            “I was hoping you could tell me what happened to you.” He whispered gently. “You’re in the hospital, Akane.” The ultimate gymnast jolted at his words, fear filling her eyes, only to hiss in pain and collapse into the bed. Nekomaru moved to her side, staring down at her with worry, “Easy. Don’t hurt yourself more than you already are.”

            “Hospitals are where… people die, coach.” Akane grimaced, giving him a desperate look. She appeared to be afraid. “I’m obviously not dead. Get me out of here now!”

            “Not until you recover from these injuries.” Nekomaru frowned. “Hospitals are meant to save people, and it saved your life. Now rest. In a few days, maybe they’ll release you.”

            “But- “

            “Say nothing more, Akane.”

            She glared at him, uncomfortable, but reluctantly giving in. He wasn’t sure if it was because she knew her weakness as much as he did, or if it was simply because she didn’t wish to cause a scene in front of her family. Her body trembled occasionally when a nurse ran by them, searching the room unhappily. She perceptibly detested hospitals.

Upon some prodding, Nekomaru was able to get her to remember what had happened to her, and he started to wish that she didn’t explain it in front of the little ones. They were horrified, and they wanted to crawl onto their sister like they usually did, but knew they could not. Nekomaru was most bothered by the fact that her attackers had previously made her acquaintance by sheer unfortunate chance, and felt it necessary to threaten her life for a few minutes of sick pleasure.

            But she wasn’t the one who killed them, and that was what amazed him. Despite the primitive use of a weapon, someone had a portion of kindness in their hearts to save her life. He hadn’t seen anyone else around aside from the bodies and Akane, however. The hero would remain a mystery to him.

            He stayed with her for the rest of the day, waiting for her to fall asleep before leading her family to his home. There wasn’t enough room to stay in the hospital, and they hadn’t had a proper meal since morning. None of them wished to leave Akane’s side. He had to swear to them that they would return the next day to see her the instant they were all awake. Curiously enough, he didn’t want to leave her either, but the children needed someone to take care of them first and foremost. He couldn’t bring himself to have an elated conversation with them, there was no way they could maintain any sense of happiness. All they required were plenty of hugs, comforting words, and many tissues. Expectedly, they surrounded him that night, clinging to his body.

            Nekomaru stared at the ceiling for a long time, unable to get himself to rest the more he thought about Akane, wondering how he could help her more than he already was.

            “Big bro Neko…”

            He was mildly startled to hear Kosuke speak up among the sleeping children, “You should be sleeping Kosuke…”

            “I can’t,” The boy whispered sadly. “I’m scared.”

            Nekomaru’s lips thinned, nodding slowly, “I understand. Today was a hard day for all of you kids. You… should never have to deal with that.”

            “Then please protect us…”

            He lifted his head somewhat to regard the boy somberly through the darkness of the room, “I’m trying to. As your sister’s manager, I must support her in everything I can, and I told her I would do my best to help all of you.”

            Kosuke’s head pressed into his leg further, silence filling the room for a moment. If Nekomaru could see him clearly, he would have known he was contemplating something. He waited, resting his head on the pillow once more.

            “Do you… love big sis?”

            His heart skipped a beat, mouth opening to deny the boy’s question when he stopped himself. He didn’t dislike her at all, she was an enjoyable person, even with her strange quirks and reckless attitude. She was admirable, a selfless sister that cared for her family and kept an optimistic mind despite the hardships they faced. Strong in the mind and heart… stubborn as a bull and fearless like a lioness. Protective, honest, bold… sometimes hot-headed and biting… but… he liked that about her.

            He liked her burning spirit; the shining potential he saw in her when they first met. She attracted him the moment he saw her, even when she was at a weak point in her life. When they scrapped, she was careless, but she had improved with each battle they endured against each other. Her skills as a gymnast had grown as well, proving that she was worthy to be called the ultimate gymnast. She was all of these things…

            And somehow, she was still a fragile person. Nekomaru would never forget the night she told him about Tatsuo’s horrible bruises, how she was so desperate to hide her inability to prevent it from happening, and how reluctant she was to accept his aid when he genuinely offered it to her. He would never forget how she looked at him when she thanked him for his help, unable to understand his kindness. A strong person always had a delicate side to them. He knew the feeling all too well himself, because he _was_ an emotional person. It wasn’t a dishonorable issue to be emotional or fragile. Akane still had to learn that.

            “…Big bro Neko?” Kosuke didn’t miss his hesitation to respond, tapping his leg with his small finger.

            “Well I…” Nekomaru tried to gather his thoughts, face warm. “She’s… a good person.”

            “But do you _love_ her?”

            The ultimate manager sighed, “Go to sleep Kosuke.”

            The boy whined, but said nothing else to defy him. After a few minutes, he appeared to finally be asleep, though it brought little relief to Nekomaru. Children never forgot to repeat embarrassing questions until they received an answer they wanted. However, he just wanted more time to think about it.

            Because… he wasn’t sure.

            The rest of the night was filled with deep contemplation as sleep seemed to purposely evade Nekomaru.

* * *

 

            Kuraim grumbled to himself, carving Akane’s name into the walls of his home for the fifteenth time. His plan was supposed to happen by now, and it could have happened if he had taken the opportunity to chase those damn children instead of observing the love of his life after coincidentally finding her in a rough situation. He had been walking around the town when he heard the scream of a juvenile, followed by shouts of terror and fury. Curiosity got the best of him, so he had investigated the source while a crowd raced by him fearfully.

            The picturesque Akane bravely fought two men as they ganged up on her, demanding her siblings to run away and find help. He remembered feeling torn. It was the best opportunity to take the children as hostages while she was distracted for his plan, but his love was struggling before him with men that dared to touch her. She was bleeding, one of the bastards had wounded her with their weapons. How dare they…

            Still, she was a strong warrior, she gave them a run for their money. Kuraim observed from the distance, fingers irritably tickling the barrel of the gun he recently purchased. The children had fled, he had never felt such disappointment watching prey escape his grip so easily simply because he was preoccupied. He contemplated giving chase, when a third male made his presence known and joined the tussle. His anger grew with every cut they landed on her, but a sense of pleasure always came over him when she brutally beat them in return, snapping their wrists, spraining their ankles.

            So fierce… yet so very gorgeous…

            Someone fit to be his and his alone…

            Kuraim admired her, licking his lips with desire when Akane entered a standoff with the men. She could finish them off easily, they were so broken and bloodied, he nearly found it hilarious. Only weeks ago was he in a similar condition of pain after she had beaten him in her home, but he had to believe she went easy on him. He didn’t suffer anything more than a broken nose, whereas the brutes had many broken bones and bruises. Perhaps in the end he could still go find the children.

            Then it happened.

            Knives plunged into her shoulder and backside, sending her to the ground where she was kicked in the stomach. She was called a whore, pinned to the ground as she bled excessively, taunted by the men. The moment one of their feet slammed into her head after she attempted to struggle, Kuraim was seeing red. And when they made their intentions with her clear by lifting her skirt, he destroyed them.

            He had never shot a gun before, nor found meaning in having one, but he was grateful to have it as he shot those bastards dead. Nobody… _absolutely nobody_... would ever steal her purity away if it wasn’t him. No one else deserved it but _him_. The last one tried to beg for his life, but he didn’t deserve mercy. The terrified look in his eyes made him shiver with elation.

            Suddenly he was glad he stayed behind rather than acting out his plan. He had the chance to save his love. How wonderful! It would serve as leverage for the future if she ever tried to defy him in any way. If only… he could be the one to save her.

            “Akane… my sweet Akane… I’m sorry, my love.” Kuraim wanted to approach her, to hold her in his arms and kiss her as tears rolled down his face… but he couldn’t.

            He knew someone was coming… and he knew it was that aggravating male that she was always around. How he longed to kill him. His name… she had yelled it at some point, and he carved it into his mind.

            Nekomaru.

            Kuraim hid himself away, glaring bitterly as Akane feebly got to her feet and stumbled to a wall for support. He wanted to be the one to save her, but he wasn’t stupid. Not long after, _he_ appeared and carried her away, just as he thought. Those kids had alerted him. If he had been with her, Nekomaru would have knocked him out.

            _Annoying._

            Nekomaru had to go. He looked at her in a way that infuriated him, touched her in a way that made him long for murder. Why was he _always_ around her?

            _Jealousy._

            Kuraim clenched his fist, moving over to where the men laid dead. Akane’s blood stained the ground, a trail of droplets left in the direction she was taken to. This wouldn’t have happened if she just chose to be his. Why wouldn’t she just be his!?

            He stabbed the knife into the wall after finishing the final letter of her name. Too much time had been wasted from waiting for her to go to him. His patience had finally worn out. He needed to take matters into his own hands, finally get the ball rolling into action.

            It was time to act on his own, no matter what.   


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for a late update! It's been a busy week, and editing this chapter was a struggle. So, sorry if there are some mistakes or if it's just plain bad, but it's a longer chapter than usual!

            Three times Akane tried to sneak out of the hospital, two attempts resulting in nurses finding her and reprimanding her as they dragged her back to bed, while the last attempt ended in a very disappointed Nekomaru giving her a scowl until she returned to the bed herself. He quickly discovered that she had her reasons of hating hospitals; she was terrified of ghosts, and believed that hospitals were haunted by the spirits of people who died in them. Based on the dark circles under her eyes by the second day of recovery, it was clear she wasn’t getting a lot of sleep because of it. Whenever Nekomaru and her siblings would visit in the mornings and afternoons, however, she would eventually drift off into rest, relaxed by their presence.

            Taking responsibility for seven children was a tough task over the span of time that she was waiting for release. He learned how to tuck them into bed how they preferred it (he never knew there were different ways to be tucked into bed), how to bathe them and comb their hair, how to guard them and be on the lookout for any suspicious people, how to be… a big brother essentially. Kosuke and Tatsuo always made a point to comment on how they would someday be as big and strong as he was, and Haruto began to challenge him to small scrimmages when they had some free time in hopes to gain the strength he needed to protect his family when Akane couldn’t be there. As long as he kept them distracted from distressing about their sister, Nekomaru didn’t mind any of it.

            In fact, he began to enjoy every moment of it. He didn’t have brothers or sisters, and only in recent years had he began to find friendships thanks to the boy he met in the hospital so long ago. It was a lot of work, but it was worth every second.

            At some point, Kurenai mentioned their mother back at home, and he realized that they had been away from her for a few days now. From what he understood, she wasn’t the best when it came to being a parental figure, but she was still their mother and was surely concerned about them. So, Nekomaru asked the children to guide him to their home so he could alert their mother of their whereabouts and Akane’s current situation. He wanted to believe with all his heart that she was sober enough to care about everything he told her, but her blank stare and emotionless responses offered little comfort to him. The large blotchy bruise on her cheek gave him reason to believe she was recovering from a long night of mistakes. She barely even acknowledged the children when they approached her, and after a long hour of one sided conversations, they tugged at Nekomaru’s arm to escape the habitation once more.

            Furthermore, discovering the living conditions the family resided in was heartbreaking for him. He finally understood why everyone was so amazed by his small apartment, appreciating the small things even more than before. It took a lot to hold back the tears that welled up in his eyes as they departed. Halfway on their walk, Kurenai and Tatsuo’s tiny hands reached for his, leaning into his legs silently. None of them would admit it out loud, but they clearly wished that their mother would care about them more than she bothered to extend. He held their hands tenderly, though it only required three of his fingers to wrap around their hands, and he marveled how Akane managed to keep their spirits up in moments like these.

            They wandered the streets, most of them unwilling to sit around and wait until something came up. The number of eyes on them was initially unnerving to Nekomaru, he had never been given so much attention by the public, but he was also aware that he was a large man surrounded with children that were usually with their sister. However, none of the kids reacted to the attention, they were enraptured by their surroundings and by him. He was their temporary guidance that they looked to for support until Akane’s return, and he was willing to offer anything he possibly could.

            At some point, they passed the gymnasium and Hikari paused at the doors with Midori at her side. She seemed worried, anxiously glancing up at Nekomaru when he noticed her standstill, asking why she seemed so uneasy.

            “Will Akane be able to compete in the next competition?” She questioned him.

            Nekomaru felt his heart sink, all too aware that she was asking out of financial worry since it was the main reason that Akane took part in the contests. Her question was heard by everyone, the nerves shooting into the others as they joined her in front of the entrance.

            “She needs time to recover.” Nekomaru explained calmly. “Entering a competition would serve to hurt her further if she doesn’t completely get better.”

            “But… won’t that destroy her chances at other ones?” inquired Haruto, momentary panic filling his voice. “Don’t competitions grow and grow until you can join the champions? Will this keep her from that?”

            He lowered to their level, looking each one in the eye before he offered them a temperate smile, “There is no way the ultimate gymnast could be prevented from entering other competitions if she misses one. As her manager, I would never let that happen to her. Your sister is unstoppable, no matter what is thrown her way, she always gets through it, doesn’t she?”

            “Yeah…” Haruto, Hikari, and Midori shyly admitted.

            Nekomaru’s grin doubled in size, “What was that? Speak up!”

            All of them smiled at him, “Yeah!”

            They threw their fists into the air, fire in their eyes. As usual, Hana chimed in late with her repeating cheer, earning a trill of laughter. It was music to the manager’s ears. He set a hand on Midori and Kosuke’s heads, rustling their hair with a low chuckle.

            “Now let’s go visit her for lunch, what do you say?”

* * *

 

            When Akane was discharged from the hospital a few days later, Nekomaru didn’t expect his workload to double in effort. She was hopelessly stubborn; refusing to rest as needed or take it easy when she moved around excessively. If he turned his back to her longer than a few seconds, she was poking her nose into somewhere unnecessary or nearly injuring herself again by stretching or practicing punches. Luckily, it didn’t take her siblings very long to catch on before they started to reprimand her as often as he did when she did too much. Of course, the younger ones neglected to remember that her body was sore sometimes and would try to pat her a little too hard, earning a wince every time, but she was never troubled by it. Unfortunately, she had to reassure them that she was fine as they apologized and sobbed frantically, hugging her a little too tightly.

            It was a huge mess, but Nekomaru still found it to be sweet.

            After witnessing the horror that was their home, Nekomaru had taken it on himself to care for the entire family until Akane was well enough to return to her daily activities. He was reluctant to let any of them go back. She disagreed with his plans completely, but had no power to fight back. Arguing was a lot more exhausting after being stabbed a few times. In the end, she promised to return his apartment to him after she got better, commenting that she owed him tons for his help. He mentally prepared himself for all the relatively normal and lewd favors she would try to offer him.

            Akane complained every ten minutes it seemed, none of the statements ever containing a hint that she was in pain, just terribly bored. The moment Nekomaru would check on her, she would smile brightly and ask if she could train with him or go practice some gymnastics. Every time she did, he would shake his head and flick her forehead, earning a mewl of protest but a chitter of laughter afterwards.

            Such a strange woman.

            The most awkward phases were when she wanted to shower because she felt disgusting with the bandages clinging to her wounds. Nekomaru had trusted she knew how to avoid getting the fresh bandages wet, but learned the hard way that she practically tore them off and nearly reopened her stitches. After a long session of strict one-sided conversation, Akane eventually gave him a long and intense stare. The words that left her lips had him red-faced for an hour.

            “If it’s that important coach, then _you_ should bathe me!”

            She was certainly shameless when it came to showing off her body. He was able to convince her that his assistance in that manner was extremely unnecessary, and if it became necessary, her siblings could be the ones to help.

            The most difficult times were at night when everyone wanted to surround her in bed during the night but couldn’t. She needed the bed the most, yet she insisted that Nekomaru use it and let the younglings surround him instead, claiming the floor wasn’t as bad as he made it out to be. It was always a fuss to get her to accept the damn bed. He would make an improvised fort for the kids that couldn’t fit on the remainder of the bed and found comfort through meditation on the ground as his own rest. Unfortunately, he learned very quickly that he had to rest next to his bed to prevent Akane from trying to sneak out or keep the kids from crawling onto her unintentionally in their sleep.

            Needless to say, he did not get a lot of sleep over the two days she stayed with him, but she recovered impressively. By no means could she race him or join him in training for another week or so, but she was getting around easier, the bounce in her step returning little by little. Despite her circumstances, she somehow managed to maintain a sense of optimism about her.

            By the third day, Akane had determined that she was ready to go back home and get out of Nekomaru’s hair after they ate dinner. He initially believed she was joking, but she was gathering the children for their departure though they voiced their objections gloomily. They had grown attached to his apartment, and to him. Akane grinned at them reassuringly.

            “Ah, don’t worry little ones.” She claimed boldly. “We’ll see him tomorrow.” Her eyes drifted to him, her smile increasing in size. “Won’t we, coach?”

            He nodded, a glint in his eye, “Definitely.”

            “Promise?” asked Tatsuo.

            Akane rustled his hair, holding out her pinky, “I promise.”

            Tatsuo set his tiny finger into hers, forming the unbreakable pinky promise to be kept the next day. The other children gathered around Nekomaru, some giving him a simple hug, and some climbing onto him as they said their good-byes. With that, they were a little more willing to leave. Midori lead them to the door, throwing it open and rushing into the hallway. She pointed at the elevator at the end, running in place as she began to hum a song of charge. Hikari and Haruto joined her at her sides, aware of the race that was about to take place.

            “Well, guess I should join the charge.” Akane stated, nudging Nekomaru as her farewell.

            He seemed hesitant, “Are you sure you want to go back there?”

            She tilted her head at him, “Why not? It’s my temporary home, and I’m startin’ to feel bad about staying here. I don’t need to deal with feeling guilty.”

            “Right…” He sighed, walking her out of the small apartment just as Midori gave the final note to begin the sibling marathon. “Well… you’re always welcome here. You and your family.”

            Akane paused, watching as her siblings tromped down the hall, shouting and jumping around excitedly. Haruto and Hikari maintained the lead for the most part, Midori close on their heels, while Kosuke and Tatsuo chased from behind. Kurenai occasionally glanced back once she realized Akane wasn’t following them anymore, Hana keeping a slow pace with her, eyeing the colorful carpet under her feet.

            “Hey coach…” The ultimate gymnast piped up abruptly, hazel eyes slowly lifting to her friendly ally.

            “Yeah?” He leaned against the post of his door, arms crossed. There was a light grin on his face as he viewed her siblings, five of the children waiting by the elevator now, rapidly pushing the call button. The following silence from the woman at his side forced him look at her, puzzled, but still content.

            “I just wanted to say… thanks… for everything.”

            His grin increased in size only to become an expression of astonishment when she moved closer in a single step and touched her lips to his cheek before hastening after her family. Nekomaru stood there in the entrance of his small home, eyes wide, mouth agape, cheeks burning as he grasped what had just happened to him. He leaned forward, barely catching Akane smiling brightly at him as the doors to the elevator closed.

            He wasn’t sure why, but he already missed her company.

* * *

 

             It felt like it had been a long time since Akane made her way back to her own home. She hadn’t seen her step-mother in some time, though she didn’t expect her to be home anyway. Or maybe the ultimate gymnast preferred that she wouldn’t be there in the first place so she didn’t have to deal with the multitude of questions that involved her whereabouts and her health. Nekomaru had told her that he visited her during her stay in the hospital, and news wasn’t good by any means from what she heard.

            Her fingers gripped Kurenai’s hand gently as the empathetic sister stuck to her side like glue as usual. Kosuke was chasing Tatsuo, both brothers waving their favorite scarves around as if they were trying to take flight. Hana waddled along at Midori’s side, holding a small dandelion that she found growing from the cracks of the streets. Haruto and Hikari were running back and forth, shouting over each other in proclamation as to who was the faster twin. To Akane’s surprise, they were pretty equal in speed, but they certainly knew how to make a commotion.

            “Twins! You’re both speedy kids!” She shouted with a laugh. “You’ll make yourselves hungry with all that work.”

            “But I _have_ to beat Hikari!” griped Haruto. “I’m a boy, she’s a girl!”

            “So what if you’re the boy, you won’t beat me easily!” Hikari barked back. “I’m a cheetah in disguise!”

            Akane rolled her eyes, viewing the sky above and its shades of colors from the setting sun. It was the only redeemable quality of that crappy town; a beautiful sunset viewed from the top of a building. Her favorite spot to see the sunsets was at the top of the gymnasium. She hummed to herself, aware that she hadn’t enjoyed the simplicity of viewing a sunset in some time now. It had been one thing after the other.

            “Hey big sis?”

            Akane glanced down at Kurenai, her large eyes staring up at her, “Yeah?”

            “Why did you kiss Nekomaru?” She asked.

            “Ah… well…” Akane quickly averted her gaze, stupefied by her sisters’ ability to observe her surroundings. “I… don’t know what you’re talking about.”

            “Yeah you do.” Kurenai snorted. “You kissed his cheek.”

            “Kurenai…” The warmth in her cheeks was challenging to conceal. “There’s really no need to talk about this right now.”

            “Do you like him?”

            She inhaled deeply, swallowing the lump in her throat. Kurenai wouldn’t stop staring at her expectantly, leaning into her side as if she was trying to pull an answer out of her. The cheerful and innocent smile she was giving her wasn’t helpful either. Akane shook her head, reluctant to speak out of concern that she would stutter.

            “I think you do.” Kurenai shamelessly giggled. “He’s good for you.”

            “Kurenai, listen…” Akane sighed, only to freeze in place as an abnormal chill ran over her spine. Her hold on Kurenai seized up tightly, the young girl squeaking with shock. She looked forward, eyes locking on the small shack she considered her crappy home. Nothing seemed particularly amiss from what she could see, it was the same place she recognized as home, no matter how cruddy it was.

            “What’s wrong Akane?” Kurenai questioned her.

            “…Nothing.” The ultimate gymnast assured, tilting her head in confusion to her own unusual discomfort. “I guess I really didn’t want to come back here.”

            “If I had to be honest, I would rather stay at Nekomaru’s place forever.”

            “Yeah… me too…”

            Akane flinched at the twins racing past the both of them to the house only feet away, Haruto slightly ahead of Hikari this time around. They were both clearly worn out, they had been racing each other since they started making their way back home. The older twin reached his arms out, slamming into the door chaotically as it swung open to let them inside.

            “Beat ya Hikari!” boasted Haruto as he barged into the house, nearly knocking the door off its hinges.

            “You cheated!” hollered Hikari. “You started running before I counted to three!”

            “No I didn’t!”

            “Yes you did!”

            “Not true!”

            “Totally true!”

            Akane groaned, picking up the pace to silence her bickering siblings, “Twins, stop yelling, you’re gonna- “

            She heard Hikari scream suddenly, wanting to believe that her brother had punched her in frustration, but knew too well that she usually shouted in anger in those moments. The scream she had released was full of fear, and it had her sprinting into the building. The rest followed on her heels, alarmed by their sisters cry as well. Akane found herself running into their bedroom, eyes searching for any injuries on the twins as she grabbed both by their wrist, but then freezing in place as she noticed movement from the other side of the room. Her eyes lifted, and she swore her heart had stopped beating.

            Why did she ever decide to return home?

            Standing in the corner of their room, was the very man that dared to lay his hands on her family. He smiled at her, arms unfolding from his chest as he stepped into the dim light. Akane dragged the twins behind her, arms shooting out protectively as the rest of her siblings gathered behind her. She could hear the frightened whimpers from Tatsuo, the boy immediately recognizing the man that nearly suffocated him.

            “You’re…” Akane’s eyes were wide with terror, anger immediately burning in her heart. She remembered everything about him. She remembered that she despised him. “Kuraim.”

            “My love, you’ve finally returned.” He purred. “I’ve been waiting here since I knew you would be coming back.”

            “Why are you here?” Akane took a large step back, pushing her family with her.

            Kuraim moved closer, keeping a few feet away from the trembling woman, “Why? Because I am tired of waiting for you to come to me. I’ve waited too long, far too long, and I have been watching you, my sweet Akane, from the distance.”

            “Watching me? Like some creep!?” The ultimate gymnast snarled.

            His lips twitched, the smile lessening drastically. He set his hands on his hips, shaking his head, feet tapping the ground like he was irritated. There was an unmistakable crazed look in his eyes, one that Akane had seen too many times in sexually deprived males that were drunk on stupidity and lust, or from people who simply desired to kill. She stepped back again, forcefully pushing the children back even more. Her hand pressed firmly on what she assumed to be Haruto’s chest based on the rapid heartbeat and pants of air, a silent gesture to tell him to take the younglings and escape while they still could, keeping her eyes on the aggravated male.

            Then, he looked at her abruptly, before his gaze drifted to the children, “And where do they think they’re going?”

            Akane nearly shoved them away, reeling around to demand their escape as fast as their legs could carry them. Their bodies began to turn, prepared to obey, but everyone froze with fear at the terrible sound that suddenly broke out.

            _BANG._

Akane nearly tackled anyone she could reach to the ground as they screamed with alarm, the collision rattling her bones and making her wounds ache. The sound of a gun was impossible to misunderstand. She fearfully glanced back at the male who caused the raucous noise, watching as he lowered his arm to his side, the weapon she dreaded the most gripped tightly in his hand as smoke drifted from the barrel. Kuraim had only fired a warning shot to the ceiling, but his message was clear.

            “Those _brats_ are staying here.” His tone of voice had darkened, threatening their very existence. “If any one of them try to get out of here, I’ll fucking shoot them. I don’t want to deal with nuisances, but I do need them for… reasons…”

            Kurenai clung to her shirt while Tatsuo smothered his face against her arm, wailing. Akane became chillingly aware of the options laid before her. As much as she wanted to beat the hell out of his face again, she was at a disadvantage with a weapon on the table now. She couldn’t be brash, she had to take things slow. Additionally, she was already wounded, and couldn’t risk another. If she wanted to protect her family, she would have to do anything possible. Her eyes glanced forward to their only exit, staring mournfully at the freedom that was still so far away.

            “What… reasons?” Akane glowered. His statement had her insides going crazy. Whatever he wanted with them, it obviously wasn’t good.

            “I would rather keep that a secret for now, but I will say that I need to test a few things.” Kuraim’s fingers slowly traced over his pocket as he reminiscently hummed. “And depending on how you act… depends on what type of investigation I’ll do.”

            Based on the reaction the majority of her siblings gave, Akane could only assume his expression was something to fear. She gripped Kosuke’s arm tightly, pulling the boy against her to shield his sight while Tatsuo refused to budge from her shirt, trembling and nearly hyperventilating. Midori shuffled closer to Akane’s side, eyes locked on Kuraim distrustfully. If she wasn’t as young as she was, she might have appeared ready to pounce at him like a lioness. Hikari kept Hana by her leg while Haruto instinctively guarded the both of them, his fists clenched at his sides. There was no consoling them, how could she possibly attempt to when everything seemed so bleak?

            “Look… what do you want from me?” Akane snapped through gritted teeth. “Just leave my brothers and sisters out of this, and I’ll do whatever you want.”

            “Oh Akane, Akane…” Kuraim shook his head at her, a sly smile on his lips. “I’m not stupid. You didn’t listen to me when we first met, so what makes you think you would accept my proposal so easily? You’re only going to agree because you’re under pressure! No, I want you to be sincere when you give me an answer.”

            “How am I supposed to be sincere with a piece of crap like you!?” She snarled, twisting her neck back to see him better and to show him the threat she was giving him.

            _Stay away or face my wrath._

            He twitched petulantly, and she stiffened when the gun was pointed at her, “This is _not_ how you treat the man that adores you and saves your life from the scum of the earth.”

            She grimaced, glaring at him mercilessly. Every word that came out of his mouth fueled the fire of hatred in her. All she desired was to punch that smug empowered look right off his face. However, the defeat of the three men that attacked her made sense now. The sound she had heard, their cries of pain… They had been shot dead by the very gun she was staring at.

            “No!” Midori suddenly cried out and struggled to get in front of her older sister who shoved her back the moment her foot stepped past the door. Akane hated to harm her family in any way, including pushing them to the ground, but this was dreadfully necessary. “Don’t hurt her, please! We love her!”

            “Shut up!” Kuraim shifted the position of the weapon to her and Akane jumped to her feet, blocking the door as much as she could. Tatsuo wailed as he was wrenched off her, immediately wrapping his arms around her leg. “Don’t, I repeat, _do not_ piss me off any further!”

            Akane slowly looked back at her family, at their horrified expressions as they watched her protect them. She had an idea of what to do, but it was risky. Her hand settled on Tatsuo’s head, gently coaxing him away from her leg. “Shh… It’s okay. He can’t hurt me.”

            Their tear-filled eyes stared up at her, burning into her soul. Their whimpers tore at her ears, ripping her heart into pieces. Remorse filled her.

            Why did she leave Nekomaru?

            She nodded at them once, trying to reassure them even a little, then moved a step closer to Kuraim, “So… what do you want with me? I’m right here, you have me right here.”

            He watched her, caution in his eyes. Akane swallowed nervously, stepping closer again. She knew what she had to attempt; she had to drop his guard enough to get the weapon away. Only then, could she get everyone to safety.

            Only then did she have a chance.

            “What do you want with me?” The ultimate gymnast asked again. “Would you like me to strip? To flaunt my body off to you?”

            Kuraim frowned, “I would not ask such a vulgar action from you, my love. I’m not like the pigs that grab at you.”

            “Of course not.” She confirmed bitterly.

            “Big sis…” Tatsuo sniffled behind her, Hikari clamping a hand over his mouth and pulling him backwards.

            Kuraim shuffled in place, displeased by the sound from her siblings, but Akane quickly distracted him again, stepping forward and allowed the barrel of the gun to press into her chest. She never expected to get so close to someone she hated so much, or ever experience the feeling of a gun pressing into her body, but she always knew that she would do _anything_ for her siblings. Her charm could work in her favor sometimes. The delusional male looked her up and down, appearing to be distressed with his thoughts.

            “You’ve been with that other man too much you know.” He commented darkly.

            Akane tilted her head as innocently as possible, “Who do you mean?”

            “You know exactly who; Nekomaru. Why are you always with him, and not me? He doesn’t love you like I do. It makes me so jealous…”

            She tried to maintain her composure, but it did unsettle her to know that he knew the name of her comrade. Her fingers twitched at her side as she shook her head, “Oh… He’s not important to me. He’s… just my coach. He’s nobody.”

            Kuraim squinted at her, unconvinced, “How can I trust what you’re saying?”

            “Because… I’m standing right in front of you. I’m risking my life to… get closer to you. Come now, you don’t want to shoot the woman you adore, right?”

            His eyes widened, briefly glancing down at the weapon. A flash of regret came over him, a somber complex about him.

            Then, the gun slowly lowered to his side again, and he smiled at her, “I’m sorry my love… I knew I fell for such a selfless and courageous woman.”

            His guard was lessened.

            Akane gave him a grin, “Is that so?”

            And she attacked.

            What she didn’t anticipate, however, was that he was just as prepared to defend himself.

            His smile disappeared quickly as her leg kicked out, aiming for the gun in his hand. The world entered a state of slow motion as she moved, startled when her attacked missed him by meager inches and he was retaliating in the next moment. Akane shouted, painfully aware that she had made a grave mistake once she grasped the reality that was Kuraim swinging a fist into the wound on her side. She screamed at her family.

_Run_.

            The pain was unbearable as it shot through her, plowing through her every vein as she collapsed to the ground. Kuraim was shouting at her, her siblings were crying in terror. His foot slammed into her side and she howled in agony. He called her a flurry of names; a bitch, an ungrateful whore, unforgivable trash. His foot struck her again, this time in the stomach. Akane choked, eyes wide as she heard the screams of Haruto.

            “Stop it!!”

            Kuraim turned away from her, and she knew he was looking at her siblings again. They didn’t run away like she demanded, they were entering the room. Akane reached a hand out, grabbing Kuraim’s ankle as she tried to catch her breath.

_Run li’l ones…_

            “Get away from my big sister!”

_Haruto, please…_

            She tried to tug, and he kicked her hand away, stomping down on her fingers. Akane howled, certain one of her fingers snapped under the crushing weight. His eyes darted to her long enough for the gun to point at her again.

            And fire.

            Akane had been stabbed, beaten, knocked unconscious… but she had never experienced the pain that was a bullet piercing through her skin. It had struck her in the thigh, shooting through it entirely. Her eyes were wide, her throat scratching as she shrieked in agony, every muscle in her body tensing.

            “You see what you made me do!?” Kuraim roared at her. “Look what you made me do Akane!”

            She seethed with fury, eyes locking onto him. Her hand pressed onto her leg, the warmth of blood seeping over her skin. He looked as if he had gone completely mad, his eyes large with bloodlust and desire. The smile on his face was deranged, “Do you understand now, what will happen if you disobey me!?”

            “Akane!!”

            It happened so quickly; Haruto pounced at him, grabbing his arm and struggling to pry the gun away from him. Hikari jumped in, shouting at Haruto for his risky actions, but trying to do the same as she grabbed at his body. They were scared, desperately trying to help their kinfolk. Kuraim shoved Hikari into a wall, the collision briefly stunning her as she pressed the palms of her hands against the structure to keep herself up. Haruto shouted, enraged. The boy began to punch the villain in his stomach, earning little more than a wince from him.

            Akane cried out when Haruto was knocked to the ground with a single backhanded smack across his cheek, reaching out again when the gun was aimed for him. She struggled to grab for Kuraim’s leg, listening as the screams of her siblings rang into her ears. Her own voice rang out, desperate, pleading again and again.

            “Don’t hurt him!!”

_No._

_No!_

_No!!!_

            “Brother!!”

            The shot was fired and Akane had only then grasped his pant leg. Her heart ceased beating, reluctance filling her to look at what had transpired. Kuraim stepped back, leg slipping free from her hold easily as her grip went slack. He looked down at her, dissatisfaction in his eyes as he blew the smoke from his gun.

            “ _You_ made this happen Akane.” He said lowly. “You betrayed my trust.”

            Akane’s head sluggishly tilted to Haruto, unprepared to see what she had done.

            “H-Hikari?”

            Haruto’s voice filled the silence. She nearly vomited seeing the twin sisters body limp over her brother, a single bullet wound to the middle of her back. Haruto lifted himself, holding her in his arms, large tears dripping over his cheeks. Akane felt her body tremble. Fear, disgust, despair, anger, sorrow… she couldn’t pin a single emotion down.

            Hikari had saved Haruto’s life at the cost of her own.

            “Hikari…?” Haruto wept, pulling her against him tightly. “No… please. Please wake up, Hikari!”

            “No…” Akane whispered under her breath. “No…”

            “Listen you… you won the race Hikari!” Haruto’s voice choke up as he cradled her face in his hand. “I’ll let you win every race if you just open your eyes!”

            From the doorway, Hana waddled forward, none of the children stopping her as she approached Hikari and Haruto. She looked over the two, cooing softly. Her tiny hand reached for Hikari’s hand, taking her finger. It was clear she didn’t understand any of it. She was afraid, that much could be seen by the tear streaks over her rosy cheeks, but there was no sense of comprehension.

            “Hika?” She babbled softly, pulling at her finger delicately. “Wake… up…”

            Kuraim snorted, “She’s _dead,_ little brats.”

            “That’s not true!” Haruto denied, shaking his head again and again. “She isn’t dead! She’s not gone! Hikari, please!!”

            Akane grit her teeth, tears stinging her eyes. How _dare_ he! She was supposed to protect them! Her duty as the oldest sibling was to provide and protect her family from everything and everyone, and she _failed._

            Hikari was dead.

            Because she tried to act on bravado. Because she tried to be a hero and act on a stupid plan that risked their lives.

            “I’ll… kill you…” She asserted, slamming a fist to the ground as she tried to push herself to her feet.

            No mercy. He didn’t deserve it this time. If she could get her hands around his neck, she would make sure he died slowly, losing every ounce of breath in him. She would beat him to a pulp, make him feel every single hit she got on him. All of these things she would do to him, to make him _suffer._ Hell had a special place for him.

            Akane barely got to her knees when Kuraim stepped in front of her. Her hazel eyes lifted, and she recoiled when he swiped a tear from her cheek, biting at his hand, swiping at him to grab him so she could pull him to the ground. He only snorted at her endeavors before back handing her. Her cheek stung, but none of the pain she was experiencing could compare to the hole in her heart.

            “Oh Akane, if only you had the ability to kill me. Now, because of how you have treated me today, I get to treat every single one of your little brats the same exact way.”

            When she furiously looked back at him this time, she was greeted with the handle of his gun slamming into her temple. Her body went limp as she fell to the ground, vision darkening as she began to fall unconscious. She could hear her name being called, the voices growing discreet as if they were moving away from her. There were sobs and screams, a myriad of noises before it became ominously silent.

            Akane’s fingers scratched weakly at the ground, searching for something to hold to keep her stable, but her mind was fading quickly. She touched something cold and fleshy, her lips quivering.

            “Hikari…” Her voice was feeble. “I’m sorry…”

            Warm streaks heated her face, eyes closing as she trembled. She battled to remain conscious, the task an impossible uphill race that sent her tumbling down the tall hill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry. :')


	17. Chapter 17

            Waking up to the horrid screams of her step-mother immediately reminded Akane that nothing was a nightmare that she wanted to anxiously escape. There was no escaping reality though, no matter how much she longed for it. Her eyes drearily opened, vision blurry and nausea hitting her harder than a stray baseball to the stomach. She cradled her head in her hand, a blistering headache making the sickness worse, and the cries of her step-mother weren’t helping whatsoever. The moment she shifted her body to sit up, she was quickly reminded about her damaged leg, and of her deceased caring sister.

            Hikari… _dead_ …

            Her blurry gaze shifted upward, catching glimpses of the girl being held tightly against her mother’s chest as she sobbed unreservedly. Where she had once laid, a pool of her blood had amassed on the ragged floor. Akane grasped her stomach and vomited, the sight of her sister’s corpse and blood sending her over the edge. She couldn’t remember the last time she had thrown up, it wasn’t her favorite type of illness to deal with and when it did come up, she usually managed to swallow back her queasiness. How could she hope to prevent herself from doing so when her sister was _dead_?

            She retched a few more times, finally unable to heave anything else up before she caught her breath and coughed the remaining residue out. Her legs felt sticky and cold, her own blood coating her thighs where she had been shot, pooling around her in the time that she had been unconscious. Disoriented, she searched the room, noticing strands of light beaming through the roof, but unable to see anything more than the other two presences near her. The rest of her family was nowhere to be seen…

            “L-li’l ones…?” Akane droned out pathetically, wincing when her step-mother’s neck snapped towards her, sorrow suddenly replaced by unbridled rage.

            “What happened here!?” She shouted through a sob. “What happened to my baby!? Why is my child dead!?”

            Akane grimaced, struggling to find her voice, “She was… shot…”

            “Sh-shot…? And you didn’t help her!?” Now her step-mother was screaming at her, setting the limp child down and barreling towards the injured female. Akane barely flinched when she was struck by her hand, but it served to lessen her bewilderment. “My child is dead, and you failed to protect her! My babies are gone, because of you!? Where are my children, you little bitch!!?”

            She didn’t answer her. If she told her the truth, if she told her that she didn’t know where her precious siblings were, Akane knew she would cry. The last thing she ever wanted to do in front of her step-mother was cry. However, each time she was shouted at, her spirit began to flare back to life, confusion swiftly being replaced by rage. Her hand slowly closed into a fist, absorbing every biting word that was roared into her ear. The things she was told were infuriating, suggesting that she didn’t know how to take care of the family, that she was a failure to them all, that she was _worthless_ …

            Until she finally snapped.

            Akane jumped to her feet and drove her fist into her step-mothers nose, sending the woman to the ground as she howled in pain. She let her whine and cry, spilling out nonsense about her broken nose and the misery of losing a child, about how terrible a person the older sibling was for letting such a terrible thing happen and for the abuse she had subjected the woman to. The ultimate gymnast leaned all of her weight on her good leg, lips quivering with the threat of tears building in her eyes. When her step-mother’s berating became too much to handle, Akane screamed as loud as she could manage.

            It tore her throat apart, and it made every part of her body clench with pain, but she could no longer hold it in. All the stress, all the anguish, all of her emotions broke free from that single shout, and it silenced the room completely. Her shoulders trembled as she gasped for air, every inhale hoarse and fatigued. She was drained… but she was furious.

            “A-Akane…!”

            “Shut the hell up!!” Akane gave her the wildest look she could muster in her state of exhaustion, teeth bared as her eyes quaked with resentment. “You don’t know _anything_ about this family!! You don’t know what I have done to keep everyone fed and happy, to keep their hope alive!! You didn’t give a shit about us, you just cared about your stupid alcohol!! You were _never_ here to help us, all you did was bring us trouble in the form of those bastard men! Hikari is _dead_ , because you brought that bastard here!! _This is all your fault_!!”

            The horrified look on her step-mother’s face would have been satisfying if Akane wasn’t on the verge of passing out or throwing up again. That, and she was too angry to find any sense of satisfaction in anything if it didn’t include the destruction of Kuraim. She no longer wished to look at the woman before her anymore, tearing her gaze away to her younger sister who laid beneath a single beam of light.

            In death, she was like an angel.

            Akane approached her little sister, falling at her side and moving a stray strand of her hair away from her eyes, before pulling her cold body into her arms in a tight embrace. She shuddered feeling how limp the girl was against her, feeling her heart ache the longer she held onto her, hoping that she would wake up and smile at her like before. It was a wishful thought, but she knew it would never happen. She would never get to see Hikari’s bright smile again.

            “I love you, Hikari…” Akane whispered, throat burning with the need to cry. She clenched her fists again, still unwilling to allow her tears to fall, unwilling to let herself be weak, and set her sister down. “I will… avenge you. I promise…”

            Her thumb run over the girls’ cheek once, a final farewell to her, before she shakily rose to her feet again. Reluctantly, her gaze drifted back to her step-mother, offering little more than a partial glare to the woman who pressed a hand to her chest as she wept, then left the small shack.

            It was challenging to walk, her leg was numb, and the three patched up wounds scattered over her body pulsed with aggravation every time she limped forward. She was certain that the wound on her side was bleeding once again based on the red soaked spot on her shirt, but there wasn’t any time to take care of herself. Her family needed her, especially if they were being held captive by Kuraim. As she escaped the home, she desperately tried to block out her step-mother’s continued mournful sobs.

            The suns warmth surrounded her body as she treaded outside, using the walls as support for as long as she could before having to rely wholly on her own abilities. It disconcerted her to know that she had been unconscious for the entire night after being struck in the head. There was nothing she could rely on to know where her siblings may have been taken overnight. She wasn’t even sure if they were still alive.

            No… she couldn’t think like that.

            “They’re alive… they’re alive…” Akane murmured to herself, trying to convince herself that there was a chance that her siblings were still safe.

            And perhaps… they might have escaped Kuraim? They were well aware about what they had to do if there was any severe trouble. Even if one of them managed to escape, they should have known exactly what to do. It was the only hope she could cling to even though it was the size of a spider’s thread at that point. She grit her teeth, fighting through the aching she had to endure as she hobbled forward.

            Nekomaru was the only person she could rely on for assistance.

            The number of stares she got exceeded anything she had experienced before, but no one lifted a hand to help her. They simply gasped in horror when they saw her, talked amongst each other about how unfortunate she was, or ignored her completely. If the town ever burned, Akane had to wonder if she would even bat an eye.

            It took forever, but she eventually stumbled upon Nekomaru’s apartment complex, breathless and certain she was seeing spots. Akane rested against a wall for a while, allowing her vision to clear up enough to let her keep going. She glanced behind her briefly, cringing at the trail of blood she left behind in the form of specks and footprints. There wasn’t any rationalization to how she hadn’t passed out yet, but she was grateful for every second she was awake and able to move a bit further.

            Eventually, she found herself standing before Nekomaru’s apartment, and while she would have once barged into his room unannounced with the little ones, she knocked timidly. The silence was painful, she had prayed that she would hear the shouts of her siblings as they rushed to open the door to greet her.

            Now she could only hope they were being silent because they were hiding out of fear that she was Kuraim.

            The door opened suddenly, catching her off guard as she jerked back. She lifted her gaze to Nekomaru, the male only in his white tank, who smiled at her once he recognized her. However, his expression fell the instant he looked at the woman before him entirely, a look of pure dread replacing any sense of joy he may have had. She found herself trembling before his large stature, her resolve falling apart piece by piece the longer the silence went on. Her body was pleading for rest and recuperation, but her stubborn will and sense of terror wouldn’t allow her to stop until she either collapsed or found her family. Resignedly, her eyes searched his briefly, before trying to look past him.

            “Are they here…?” Akane rasped solemnly. “Are the… li’l ones here…?”

            Nekomaru seemed to be paralyzed with distress, his gaze shifting frantically from the bruises on her face to the blood coating her legs, “N-no… they aren’t here. Akane, what… what happened to you…?”

            Her stare was blank for a moment, like she didn’t hear a word he had said. She wobbled in place, her newly injured leg trembling viciously as if it was going to give out at any second, and her head lowered despondently. The thread of hope she had been holding onto was snapped in half in a matter of seconds.

            “A-Akane…?” He reached out to her, fingers barely touching her arm when she swung out at him with a grief-filled scream, fist hitting him in the arm.

            She stumbled backwards, the motion throwing her entire sense of balance off as she fell to the ground, too rapidly for Nekomaru to react fast enough to catch her. He seemed stunned for a moment, then threw himself to the ground, pulling her into a sitting position frenetically before being forced to hold her arms down after she tried to swing at him again, cursing a slew of profanities. She was absolutely delirious.

            “What do you mean they’re not here?” Akane lamented, giving the ultimate manager the most agonizing look he had ever seen from her. “They were supposed to come here if anything bad happened!”

            “Wait, Akane…!” Nekomaru caught her fist before it hit his face, terror in his eyes when he noticed her palm was stained with blood. He trapped her against him after she continued to violently shake against him, pinning her to his chest and locking her arms against herself like a straitjacket. “Stop it, you’ll hurt yourself even more!”

            The manager grimaced with pain when her teeth bit down on his bare arm in an attempt to break free from him, but he refused to release her even when he felt the warmth of blood trickle over his skin. Her bite was strong and unwavering, like a ravenous wolf tearing into a carcass and refusing to let go. She screamed against him, once, twice, one of her legs kicking irritably, slamming into the carpet repeatedly. The noise she made gained the attention of anyone else who lived on the same floor as Nekomaru, multiple doors opening as onlookers viewed the frenzy from a distance. Her teeth tore away from his skin, her voice shouting to the heavens liberally.

            “Let me go, they need me!” Akane howled, her voice betraying her as it cracked. “I failed to protect them! They’re out there somewhere and I… I…!”

            She fell silent, unable to finish her sentence as she resorted to yelling instead. Nekomaru tightened his hold on her, eyes shutting as he waited for her anger to subside, her struggling slowly dissipating little by little. Her voice weakened, then her body slumped over, ending the scene as suddenly as it began. Nekomaru feared she had fainted from the amount of blood she had lost, or if the pain she had been enduring finally got the best of her, but when he saw her chest heave a few times, he discerned that she was still cognizant, but incredibly frail.

            He carefully loosened his grip on her, waiting to see if she would attack him again before he shifted to her front, observing the bloody mark on his arm fleetingly. His heart nearly shattered once he comprehended why she had given up her struggle.

            Tears streamed over her cheeks in cascades, sobs tearing free from her body like she had been trying to hold it back for a long time. She lifted her arms, the back of her palms pressed against her cheeks, wiping at the endless streams desperately.

            Akane was crying.

            It was something Nekomaru never thought he would witness, but now that he was, he wished he never had to. His instincts were still locked on her injuries, imploring him to get her to the hospital as soon as possible, but his heart was telling him to care for her and figure out what was wrong. From what he could piece together, he understood that her siblings were in some kind of misfortune, and that unnerved him.

            “Akane…” He barely spoke above a whisper, feeling choked up himself. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”

            “She’s dead!” The broken-hearted woman wailed. “Hikari is dead, and it’s all my fault!”

            Nekomaru recoiled at her words, feeling as if a hot knife stabbed into his heart. He wanted to believe she was lying, trapped in some ruthless hallucination that made her psychotic for brief moments. Her injuries told him differently though. She wasn’t lying to him, there was no reason for her to say such and thing and be joking about it. He was speechless, only able to stare at the woman before him as she fell apart.

            “He was there, waiting at our house!” Akane cried unremittingly. “He had a gun… and he shot Hikari! She saved Haruto, but I couldn’t save her!”

            The knife twisted in his chest, leaving him breathless. She was only a child. It made him feel nauseous.

            “Who…?” Nekomaru felt like he already knew the answer, but he needed the confirmation from Akane first. “Who did this…?”

            His assumption was spot on. “…Kuraim.”

            He still felt his body tense hearing the name, out of outrage and of trepidation. Kuraim had been in the picture the entire time since he knew Akane, and he had grown to become a disastrous threat to the family. His actions had gone too far now.

            Nekomaru trembled as the sorrow and wrath of losing Hikari finally came over him, a wave of tears falling over his cheeks. He couldn’t help but feel like he had failed her too. His promise to Akane, a promise to help her protect her siblings from harm, was tarnished. If only… he had walked them home or insisted that they stay with him a while longer…

            Maybe this wouldn’t have happened then.

            “Akane…” The sorrowful male reached out to the weeping female, grabbing her gently as he pulled her against him. She buried her face into his chest as she continued to cry, one hand clawing at his shirt while the other formed a fist and weakly hit him on the chest again and again. He stroked her back, letting her freely sob, his emotions joining hers as he quietly cried with her, whispering an empathetic apology. There was nothing more he could say or do to mend her fragmented heart. All he could do was hold her, and be there to comfort her.

            After a few minutes, Akane’s body wilted against him, the trauma finally incapacitating her due to its debilitated state. It alarmed Nekomaru at first; he feared that she had succumbed to her injuries and died in his arms, but he found respite in her feeble whimpers as she continued to mourn in her comatose state. He lifted her into his arms, climbing to his feet and making his way past the observant eyes of his neighbors. Their commentary was soft, some horrified by the sight of her blood, while others were emotionally moved by Akane’s woeful cries that had resounded through the halls.

            Nekomaru allowed his own tears to continue to fall as he carried Akane to the hospital, but in his anguish, he also felt burning resentment. Kuraim was going to pay for everything he had done to the family. If he dared to harm any of the remaining siblings…

            Well… Nekomaru had no intention to hold himself back the next time he saw him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sad music makes sad scenes even more sad.  
> Hope everyone has been enjoying the story as much as I have! Thanks for reading! <3


	18. Chapter 18

            Kuraim hated children. He hated how much they cried, how much they complained about every little thing, and how _stubborn_ they could be. The oldest boy had been incredibly defiant ever since he had unintentionally killed his sister; the bullet was meant for him after all, and she had decided to be heroic and take his place. It wasn’t like it made a huge difference, but now he had to deal with a foul-mouthed boy who thought he could protect his family from anything he dished out. He had resisted until the gun was pulled on him again, pressed firmly against his forehead with a promise to shoot if he didn’t stop disobeying.

            Unacceptable.

            He had separated all the children in cages once he forced them into his hideout. Preparations for this moment had begun a long time ago, surely nothing could go wrong as long as he kept the kids decently nourished. The four youngest were easily tossed inside their designated cages, but the older boy and girl felt it was vital to try and put up another fight together. Their attacks were weak, but it still pissed Kuraim off.

            Oh, how he wanted to kill them both… A single bullet would do the trick to silence them just as easily as the other, but he required their assistance. All he had to do was knock them unconscious with a punch or two… maybe a kick for good measure before throwing them both into the backs of their enclosures. Little brats like them desperately needed to learn their lesson in respecting their elders.

            Unfortunately, beating them earned a long and obnoxious wail from the baby and she hadn’t shut up for hours on end. Kuraim thought he could ignore her, but he eventually found himself on the verge of wanting to pull out his hair. He was so close… _so close_ … to thrashing her silent if the middle child didn’t beg him to let her join the little whelp in order to comfort her. How curious, and how pretty a little one she was. She was usually so silent that he hadn’t really paid attention to her. He neared her cage, eyeing her suspiciously.

            “What’s your name, girl?” He asked, too intrigued by her compassionate plea.

            “K-Kurenai…” She responded, voice trembling in sync with her frail quivering body.

            How adorable. Kuraim always believed he had a soft spot for polite girls like her… obedient, only wishing to please others and cheer them up… A girl who thought of others before herself despite her age. He would save her for last.

            “Well, Kurenai, you have two minutes to shut your baby sister up or I will silence her myself, you got that?”

            “Y-Yes…”

            Thank the gods above, she managed to keep the runt quiet by singing her a timid lullaby. She could have had an appealing voice if she didn’t stammer so much. There was no reason for her to be so afraid; she actually listened to his demands quite decently compared to the others. Being a good girl meant avoiding any future punishment. If only Akane was the same way.

            Kuraim only had to wait until he knew exactly where the ultimate gymnast was. He had spent the first day preparing a letter for her, explaining where they would meet if she wished to know the terms of his demands. If she agreed, she would be able to save her siblings at the cost of her own freedom. For her to finally be all his… it sent pleasurable tingles down his spine. He could almost imagine it… having her all to himself, able to touch her smooth skin whenever he wanted to because she was his and _his alone_ … He could kiss her whenever he wanted, wherever he wanted.

            Although… he did have to get Nekomaru out of the picture too.

            His spine tingles of delight became tension of jealousy. Akane was probably with the burly man now, seeking his aid for her wounds, gaining his consolation at her despair, biting back the tears she hated to lose. The damn fool… it would be the last time he got to see her. Kuraim would never let him around his love, that was also a part of the deal. If Nekomaru ever showed his face… he would meet the end of a gun instead.

            Kuraim blinked, realizing he had entered a fit of rage at the mere thought of Nekomaru. He had thrown papers astray, punch a hole in a wall, and nearly smashed a few of his precious vials set precariously on their sides. How unpolished of him… he had grown more irate ever since Akane had been attacked by those pigs. His gaze drifted nonchalantly to the children, each one backed into a corner like terrified beaten dogs after his moment of lunacy. Only the oldest boy maintained a hateful glare at him, his hand clenching the blood stain on his shirt from his departed sister. Kuraim slicked his hair back, turning away with a snort and looking over the vials filled with clear liquids. His hand carefully drifted to his pocket, tapping on the item that had been residing there ever since he had crafted it.

            Soon…

            He glanced over to one of the carvings of Akane’s name, sneering. It didn’t have to be this way, but since it resulted in such a manner, he had no qualms against it. Now he could finally test out his mixtures that he had been brewing for months, each one immaculate with promise of being effective after a few risky tests on himself. He pulled out a test tube from his pocket, a pale green liquid sloshing inside of it as he viewed the chemical. There was no doubt in his mind that the oldest boy would be his first guinea pig, especially after he had nearly smashed the vial when he attacked him. The next step to his plan would begin once he had injected a decent dosage into the boy.

            The needles were ready, he had the restraints locked onto his table, all he needed was a dash of certainty to Akane’s whereabouts. There wasn’t a lot of sense in beginning the tests without her knowledge… killing the siblings one by one would lessen his chance at success. That, and he only had so much of an antidote to share to keep them alive. He grabbed another vial, marked with an ‘A’ on the cork, the liquid a hazy white. He knew he should have made more after he had tested it on himself to check its potency, but he didn’t care to worry about it excessively. It wasn’t like his life was on the line.

            A day had passed since his encounter with Akane, and he left the children to search for her. He had his ideas to where she could be; his initial thought becoming the hospital since he _did_ shoot her in the leg. The injury couldn’t be ignored, especially if she went to Nekomaru. The oaf would never allow her to persevere with such a wound.

            And he was right.

            There wasn’t any confidential privacy set on her name, all he had to do was asked if Akane Owari was there in the hospital, faking his concern over her well-being after he had ‘heard’ about her tragedy. The nurses were so kind to tell him what he needed to know once he made an additional point to claim that she was his love, and after a bit of banter, he was even told the room she was recovering in, and that she currently had a visitor with her. He refrained from scowling; it wasn’t difficult to guess who it might have been. One of the nurses offered to take him to visit with her.

            It was just too easy.

            “I wish I could see her, but I have some other things to attend to first.” Kuraim dug into his pocket, withdrawing the letter had prepared for the ultimate gymnast. “Do you think you could take her this letter from me?”

            “Yes, of course.” She grinned, taking the slip of paper. “I’m so sorry this happened to her, we’ll take good care of her.”

            The nurse bowed her head to him respectfully before turning and walking away. He smiled to himself, a chuckle escaping him. People could be so stupid and gullible so long as the concern card was played correctly. He departed the building quickly, fingers tapping on his pocket again with a renewed sense of zeal. For weeks, he had been waiting for this one moment, for all of his plans to come together in perfect harmony. To find the woman he loved… to make her his… to be able to test his creations… nothing could be any more immaculate than how he felt now. The vials of liquid waited to be used on their first patient, and the oldest boy was the perfect candidate to experience the first taste of inner torture.

            He found elation in the children’s horrified expression upon his return, and it hardly surprised him that the oldest boy had been biting and clawing at the lock of his cage in an attempt to escape.

            Kuraim scoffed, “Stupid kid, what makes you think you can get out of here so easily?”

            The boy offered no answer, only baring his teeth at him like a feral beast. If a beast is what he wanted to act like, Kuraim had no objections to treat him as one. He opened the cage, more than prepared to dodge his charge before grabbing the back of his shirt and throwing him to the ground in a single movement. The back of his head smacked the cage, a resounding noise echoing in the room.

            “Haruto!” The other feisty female cried out, gripping the bars of her prison. “Stop, leave him alone!”

            “Zip it munchkin.” Kuraim growled, reaching down and grabbing Haruto by the collar of his shirt, dragging him to the restraint table. “You’ll be next.”

            Dazed from hitting his head, Haruto didn’t put up much of a fight, though tears streamed down his face. He mumbled under his breath a few times, too soft for Kuraim to bother straining to listen. His body was tossed onto the table, wrists and ankles tied down so he wouldn’t struggle too much. The children protested desperately, their cries adding fuel to the raging fire of insanity blazing deep in Kuraim’s chest. He looked over the vials, contemplating his options.

            As the Ultimate Experimenter, Kuraim had a lot of trials to analyze. 

* * *

 

            Akane had been despondent ever since she regained consciousness in the hospital. She would stare off into space, ominously silent for long periods of time until Nekomaru could get her to speak a couple words to him. Sometimes she would look at Nekomaru questioningly, her hazel eyes squinting with remorse and anger as she held back tears and bit back bitter words of hatred. It was clear that all she desired was to get out of the infirmary and hunt down Kuraim to save her family, but how could she manage with a leg that could barely hold her weight?

            Nekomaru wasn’t stupid. If he left her side for an extended period of time, she was going to escape by any means possible, and all hell would break loose until she was either put to sleep by the nurses or completely free from the prison she believed it to be. She was angry with him because he wouldn’t let her go, he wouldn’t let her search for her missing siblings or seek out revenge on Kuraim before regaining her strength. Those eyes would burn him to the core, searing his heart with grief the longer he waited and wondered.

            But he couldn’t blame her for her resentment…

            A day had passed since she had dealt with the loss of Hikari, the pain of losing her little sister still lingering. He was furious too. Kuraim had killed her sister in cold blood, and abducted the remaining six. There was no telling if they were alive, no telling if they were being tortured by him. They must have been so scared. Nekomaru’s body tensed anytime he thought about their difficult predicament. It was too cruel… how could children be forced to deal with something so traumatic as this? He wanted to search for them himself, but he didn’t want to leave Akane out of worry that she would act carelessly. It was a double-edged sword tearing into his heart and mind, leaving him indecisive and petrified with frustration.

           His eyes tiredly drifted to Akane’s face, the distraught woman finally resting after a long night of nightmares and distressing thoughts. He had held her hand through it all, thumb rubbing over her fingers repeatedly as a comforting action to keep her grounded. When her hand began to quiver, he knew to squeeze a little tighter to relax and reassure her to his best ability. In her sleep, she couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks and soaking into her pillow. Thankfully, however, the nurses had established that she would survive and recover normally as long as she didn’t strain her leg once they released her.

            It was only a minor reprieve to the imposing distress… but it was something to find brief contentment in for Nekomaru. He wasn’t sure if his heart could survive the amount of tension thrown onto it so suddenly. The strain showed on his face occasionally, unmissed by observant nurses who checked on Akane often. Maybe he was a little pale in the face, and maybe he cringed with pain every few hours at an abnormal clench in his chest but… the concern didn’t need to be on him at the moment. He took a deep breath, waiting.

            There was a knock at the door, and Nekomaru straightened in the chair to greet the nurse that entered the room.

            “Oh, she’s asleep.” She observed instantly. “Well, I’ll just put this by her bedside…”

            Nekomaru quirked at eyebrow at the paper set down, “Hospital bill?”

            “Oh no, a letter from her love.” The nurse replied with a smile. “He couldn’t come see her, he said he had something to attend to, but he was sweet enough to write her a letter.”

            He tried to not react violently, but he swore he felt his heart skip a beat as his mouth went dry, waiting for the nurse to leave with baited breath. Once she shut the door behind her, he snatched the letter from the table by her bed, nearly tearing the paper as he opened it. His breath shuddered as he read the short sentences to himself.

 

_Meet me alone on the roof of the gymnasium tonight._

_There we can make a deal regarding your siblings, my love._

_Yours forever,_

_Kuraim_

            The paper was instantly crumpled in his large hand, anger bubbling in his stomach. It was a trap… it had to be.

            “Nekomaru…?”

            His heart seemed to stop completely hearing Akane’s soft voice as she woke from her slumber. Reluctantly, he lifted his gaze to meet hers, swiftly lowering his hand with the letter.

            “How do you feel, Akane?” He asked as calmly as he could.

            “I heard everything she said coach…” The ultimate gymnast asserted, a dangerous fire in her eyes. “I know about the letter. It’s Kuraim, isn’t it? Tell me what it said.”

            Nekomaru flinched, but there was no sense in trying to lie to her. He told her what was written, watching the fire become a furious blaze as her fists scrunched the sheets beneath her. The scowl on her face was frightening, any sense of sadness about her becoming unbridled rage.

            “I have to go.” She growled furiously.

            “No, not like this.” Nekomaru criticized. “He’ll tear you apart if you- “

            “I don’t care!” Akane snapped, baring her teeth at her manager. “My family is stuck with him. I have to get them away from him, no matter what. He’s already killed one of them… I can’t risk losing anyone else.”

            Nekomaru threw the letter to the ground, hand shooting out to grab Akane by the wrist almost reflexively at her feisty words. He was panicking, because he knew that she was trapped in the mindset of heroism despite her condition… and he couldn’t bear to see her hurt anymore. He cared too much to let her go. “And what about yourself? What if he does more than shoot you in the leg? He’ll kill you Akane, and the little ones won’t have you in their lives.”

            Her resolute gaze never faltered, “If he does kill me… they have you to rely on. But… I can’t just sit here knowing that there is a way to save them. I just can’t. You can either help me or hinder me, but I _will_ get there tonight one way or another.”

            “Akane…”

            Nekomaru had always believed he was an unwavering man, but seeing Akane in that moment… he lost any will to stop her. What kind of person would he be if he prevented her from rescuing her precious siblings? His grip on her wrist deteriorated, before releasing her completely, fingers sliding to the edge of the bed. Her eyes seemed to fleetingly soften at his unspoken permission, biting her lower lip as she eyed the I.V. puncturing her left arm, then the bandages swaddling her leg. She hadn’t tested her legs yet, there was no telling how difficult her mission would be in regards to making her way across the town.

            “You know I’m going with you though, right?” interjected Nekomaru. “As your manager, I am responsible for you.”

            Akane shook her head at his bold claim, grinning, “I figured you would. You’ll have to stay out of sight though, he wants me alone.”

            “I know,” He said in a soft tone. “But I won’t be far. The moment something goes wrong, I’ll be at your side.”

            She looked at him again, but instead of the usual passionate flame in her eyes, there was a glimmer of gratitude. Her lips curved into a weak smile, and her fingers suddenly skimmed forward, the tips resting momentarily on the back of Nekomaru’s palm. As he viewed her through weary eyes, he could perceive a few emotions within her, stirring his tender heart.

            Anxious.

            Grateful.

 _…Vulnerable_.

            “Thank you, Nekomaru…”

            He said nothing more as he hesitantly withdrew his hand from hers. It was time to make their move, time to face Kuraim while they had the chance laid before them. He rose from his chair, determination swelling like a fountain in his chest as he squeezed his hands into tight fists.

            The feeling of her fingertips lingered for a long time.


	19. Chapter 19

            The two allies waited impatiently for another employee to check in on the wounded gymnast before deciding to make their move. They would leave at sunset when everything started to slow down in the hospital and the nurses were reaching their points of exhaustion from a day shift. When the final nurse checked on her for the day, informing Nekomaru that visiting hours were almost up as she left the room, they looked at each other once, and silently nodded. The time to flee and save her siblings had arrived.

            Akane pried the I.V. out of her arm, slapping a gauze pad over the small hole in her skin and shuffling out of the bed with some aid from Nekomaru when she winced at the initial weight put on her leg. After insisting her well-being with a confident grin, they were beginning their operation. There was no turning back once she departed from her room.

            “Are you ready, old man?” Akane teased him, far more eager than he had anticipated her to be. “Not gonna chicken out if we get in trouble?”

            He snorted, “I won’t if you don’t.”

            A determined glimmer sparked over her eyes, her hands closing into fists at her side, “No one will stop me from getting to my li’l ones…”

            Escaping the hospital proved to be an interesting challenge for Akane and Nekomaru. Sneaking around had never been their strong suit, they both had a preference to charge into their battles rather than cautiously approach them. While the ultimate manager acted as a sentinel, Akane shrouded herself behind him when nurses passed by, squeezing against the wall and shuffling around the male to avoid exposure when people walked by them. Without his usual jacket, the tasks difficulty seemed to increase ten-fold.

            He had to keep her pace due to her persisting limp, but still maintain a fast momentum before she was found to be absent from her room by the staff. Once the alarms went off, there would be no way to get her out without confrontation. He blocked doorways when necessary, certainly grateful for his sheer size in the moment, kept an eye on the front while Akane watched their backs, spoke with the doctors and nurses to distract them while the gymnast slipped passed him unnoticed. When they reached the elevator, Nekomaru hastily pressed the down button before pinning Akane to a wall until the coast was clear for them to enter after a few employees exited the opening doors.

            By some miracle, they reached the ground floor without detection, but now came the challenging part of the front entrance; their final path of resistance. Nekomaru peered around the corner, eyeing the greeter and a few other individuals gathered in the waiting area. A security officer leaned on the desk, eyes searching the area before speaking with the greeter. There were too many eyes to nonchalantly sneak about, and there was no way the two males at the front desk would miss them from where they resided.

            He leaned back, shaking his head with a heavy sigh, “There’s too many people. We’ve officially hit the brick wall, Akane.”

            She shifted behind him when a nurse rounded the corner, absorbed by a notepad that she jotted notes on, mumbling to herself.

            Another close call.

            Nekomaru slid in front of his partner completely, barely offering any protection to hide her. How could they come so far, only to be stopped by group of citizens and two inconveniently placed workers? They were supposed to escape undetected, but… at this rate, it might have been the only choice they had.

            He felt Akane tug at his shirt suddenly, gaining his attention for a short moment as he glanced over his shoulder to view her.

            “Then, I think it’s time to make a run for it, coach.” She slyly grinned, fingers moving to his shoulders where she bundled the cloth under her hand. “And we’ll jump over that brick wall.”

            He nodded. There weren’t very many options to take at that point, and he was certain he had begun to hear rumor of Akane’s sudden vanishing. His knees buckled somewhat, giving her the chance to jump onto his back as the announcement was blared over the intercom of a missing patient. The alert caught everyone’s attention as they began to view their surroundings, whispering amongst each other. Heavy and fast footsteps echoed through the halls, likely nurses who were now on the prowl for the ultimate gymnast. The security officer went on guard, hand moving to his side where a gun and taser rested in his holster.

            A visitor was making their way inside the hospital simultaneously, opening the sliding doors at the most perfect time as Nekomaru braced himself for their getaway. The sentry waved at the visitor frantically, ushering him to enter the building faster. Nekomaru’s legs kicked in the instant he heard someone shout at them from behind, gripping Akane’s thighs as her arms wrapped around his neck and bolting for the door. The citizen shouted with surprise as he dashed by them, causing them to fall back from their moment of startling, the guard shouting after them to halt. He had never felt like a criminal before, but the more he heard people yelling at him to stop, a small sense of guilt crawled its way into his mind.

            Luckily, his determination to aid Akane was far stronger than that little fragment of felonious guilt.

            Moreover, the security officer wouldn’t dare to shoot with a patient on his back. He heard Akane release a gale of laughter, probably from the rush and excitement of it all. Or she was simply elated to experience a piggy back ride, usually the carrier of the action for her siblings. Nekomaru sprinted through the town, a trail of dust kicked up behind him the faster he went, refusing to stop until he reached the necessary destination.

            _But it hurt…_

He pushed his weakness back, ignoring it though it was certainly disconcerting to feel. The pain was getting worse, and he could only figure it was because he threw himself into exercise without a warm up, as well as accepting the fact that he was about to enter the lion’s den. Kuraim was a dangerous man, he had every reason to feel anxious the closer they got to the gymnasium. His heart was already weak from his condition… stress only served to aggravate it to unbearable points.

            It would kill him if he wasn’t cautious.

            “There it is!” shouted Akane, pointing to the building not too far ahead.

            Nekomaru slowed his pace, allowing Akane to slip off him carefully. She moved past him, head tilting to the flat roof of the structure. Her family was so close… yet still so far. She hastily started to make her way into the building, a set of stairs in a hidden closet room the only path she knew about to reach the roof, when she realized Nekomaru wasn’t following her. Akane turned back to him, about to gripe at him for being slow, when she noticed he was bent over, panting heavily. One of his hands was pressed flat against his chest, a semi-strained expression about him.

            “Coach?” She called to him, a sense of worry filling her stomach.

            He straightened almost instantly, features relaxing, “I’m… alright. Just a bit worn from the run.”

            Her eyes narrowed on him. It was difficult to tell if he was lying, but she wanted to believe his every word. She had trusted him this far, there was no reason she had to doubt him now. Still… why were her gut instincts starting to go crazy after seeing him in such a weary state? Akane shrugged the thought away, assuming the wild reaction came from her nerves regarding her siblings. Nekomaru would have told her if something was wrong with him.

            “Well… we’re almost there.” She stated softly. “Kuraim wants to see me alone, but… you’ll be close by, right?”

            Nekomaru nodded at her, lips thin, “Of course. The instant something seems off, or you shout for me, I’ll be there by your side. You can count on me.”

            Akane grinned, staring back at her comrade for a few seconds, contemplating. He… always helped her when she needed it the most. She thought back to the night where he first promised that he would always help her and her siblings if they ever got into trouble. It was strange to hear at first, and maybe she didn’t fully believe him at the time, but now, Akane was more than willing to put her life in his hands. He had proved to be someone she could trust with her life. Someone that she could trust to protect her family too.

            And maybe… she had to wonder if she felt something else towards him. Her heart fluttered at the mere thought of it. Akane chewed her bottom lip, shifting her full weight onto her good leg. Nekomaru seemed puzzled by the silence between them, a worried expression coming into view the longer she stared at him.

            “Akane…?” He called to her, trying to snap her from her trance of thought.

            She took a breath, steeling her nerves, “…Nekomaru, I- “

            “Well, you’re a face I haven’t missed seeing.” scoffed a voice from behind. Akane spun around to face Mirai as she walked out of the building, her eyes scanning over the other judgmentally. “Wow, what happened to you? Looks like you got hit by a truck or something.”

            “Mirai,” Akane frowned once she recognized the conceited female. “It’s certainly been a while. Heck, I’m surprised I even remembered your name.”

            “No one could forget someone like me.” Mirai flicked her hair back with a smirk, attention shifting to the male behind her. “Coach Nekomaru! It’s been so long since I’ve seen you~ Where have you been?”

            “I’ve been busy with my athlete.” Nekomaru answered simply. “We’re _really_ busy now, in fact. Have Akane’s siblings come through here?”

            The haughty gymnast set her hands on her hips, lips pursing as an annoyed look came over her from being dismissed so easily, “Yeah, they went in not too long ago with some dude. That’s why I figured _she_ was out here.”

            Akane’s shoulders tensed at the other’s words, and before anyone else could speak, she was bumping shoulders with Mirai as she hastily rushed past her. The girl gave a shout of protest, her badgering falling on deaf ears as she was left behind to fume with irritation. Time couldn’t be wasted on her, not after discovering that Kuraim and her siblings were only feet away. Akane didn’t stop when she heard Nekomaru shout for her, bolting up the stairs that guided her to the roof. Her heart was pounding in her chest, her thoughts ensnared on her sweet little ones.

            Halfway up the flight, she lost her footing, dropping onto the stairwell with a shout of fury and pain. She had slipped on something slender, the object about to face her rage when she stiffened feeling cloth in her fingers.

            Two scarves. One a shade of deep blue, and the other purple with black diamond designs.

            Akane loosened her hold on the two cloths in her hand, pulling them to her chest with a trembling breath. The scents of her two youngest brothers lingered on their favorite articles of clothing, lost to a forceful climb. She gritted her teeth, eyes darting to the top of the stairs as she pushed herself back onto her feet. Her continuation was prevented by Nekomaru, who grabbed her by the wrist after catching up to her. He didn’t say anything as she snapped her neck back to him, though it was miraculous that she didn’t lash out at him like she normally did.

            “I know you want to get up there,” He panted, hand trembling against her skin. “But running around like this is going to get you hurt. You need all the strength you can get when you face Kuraim.”

            Akane’s scowl lessened, hearing him loud and clear. Her body already ached from the hospital escape, and the fall served little for her wrapped leg. She relaxed her shoulders, releasing a long quavering sigh, “Yeah… you’re right.”

            Nekomaru released her gingerly, moving his hand to her shoulder in a comforting grasp as he looked over her.

            One… two… three… four…

            Four new wounds that would become lasting scars, cruel reminders of days that she had to endure unbearable pain. She had to experience loss, nearly reach death’s embrace, and suffer at the hands of a stalker who refused to let her be free. Yet she still had the courage to smile and find some sense of optimism.

            He squeezed her shoulder, “I’ll be right behind you.”

            Akane looked at him with a calmer, yet strongminded expression. Somewhere in her heart, she felt a familiar flutter upon hearing his words. She treaded down a step and leaned into him silently for a tight embrace. His chest was warm, and his heart was… inquisitively fast in her ear. Nekomaru’s arms tenderly wrapped around her smaller frame whispering that it was going to be okay. They could do this… She pulled herself free, returning to her serious state and turning her back to him. Among the flurry of emotions spiraling within her mind, fear could not be found among them.

            “Akane,” Nekomaru’s voice pulled for her attention again, her head turning to see him in the corner of her eye. “…Be careful.”

            Akane pressed forward, slower this time so she wouldn’t potentially harm herself, holding the two scarves in one hand tightly. Kosuke and Tatsuo probably already missed their imperative pieces of clothing, and she wanted to be the one to give it back to them. Nekomaru stood waiting where she left him, prepared to go to her rescue should she need it. A lone metal door stood in her way only for a few seconds as Akane took a deep breath and shoved it open, the light of the setting sun blinding her temporarily. She heard a baby’s cry, followed by continuous wheezing like someone couldn’t breathe.

            On the far side of the roof, her siblings gathered around Haruto who laid flat on the ground, his body lurching violently as if he was experiencing a seizure. Akane couldn’t keep herself from rushing forward the moment Midori looked at her and cried with relief upon recognizing her big sister. The others followed suit, desperation and mild respite clear in their smiles, but hidden by thick tears pouring over their faces. None of them budged from their brother’s side though.

            “Li’l ones!” Akane dropped before them, longing to embrace each child if her attention wasn’t locked on her paroxysmal little brother. The scarves slipped out of her hands, thrown into the back of her mind with little concern. She cringed seeing his veins a darker color running across his body, his skin a faint shade of purple. He nearly looked like a zombie. “What’s happened to Haruto!? Why is he like this!?”

            “The bad man…” whimpered Kosuke. “He… he put needles in Haruto!”

            “He had these vials of poisonous stuff,” elaborated Midori. “And he put them into Haruto. He got really sick from it, and was throwing up a lot. Then he started going crazy when we were climbing the stairs and now he’s…”

            Akane grimaced when the boy let out a terrible scream, foaming at the mouth like a rabid wolf. The strain in his body seemed to intensify with his outcry, sending him into convulsive shudders as his body tensed forcefully. She caressed his face between her fingers, trying to get him to look at her. His eyes were rolled back into his head, each lacking breath making his face turn a shade of blue.

            “Haruto…” She whispered frantically. “Oh, Haruto, no…”

            Akane heard a foreboding laugh behind her, neck snapping around to find Kuraim standing in front of the closed door with a prideful smirk. He shook his head at her, taking a few steps forward and tapping at his belt where a few daggers hung freely next to a couple vials. Somewhere in the back of Akane’s mind, she felt a persistent warning blaring cacophonously to avoid the blades at all costs.

            “I’m so glad that you came, my sweet girl.” Kuraim praised. “Now the little brat has a small chance to survive depending on how you act… and if you’re little friend dares to stick his nose into our business.”

            She swallowed back a growl. He had probably seen their approach from the roof, fully aware of Nekomaru’s presence. It hurt to know that his assistance was too risky to include if she needed it, but with no way to inform her ally of the impending danger, she could only hope he was listening thoroughly to the conversation. Her eyes locked onto Kuraim, her stare like deadly knives.

            “What did you do to Haruto?” rumbled Akane.

            “Oh, nothing really.” The deranged male chuckled casually. “I just… wanted to test a couple things is all. It’s my passion to perform experiments on anything I can get my hands on. Aren’t the results simply intriguing?”

            “You bastard!!” Akane jumped to her feet, prepared to attack the man if he didn’t pull one of the vials from his belt and wave it at her. She skidded to a stop, knuckles white from the tautness in her fists.

            “If you dare to strike me Akane, his chance of survival drops to zero the moment I destroy this antidote.” He ridiculed.

            Her eyes widened, the world around her feeling as if it froze. It wouldn’t take much to destroy the fragile vial; he need only drop it on the solid ground beneath them. She looked back at her siblings, at Haruto who released another dreadful scream of pain. There was no way she wanted to lose another sibling, not when she just lost Hikari.

            Hesitantly, her shoulders slumped, a ghastly feeling coming over her. He knew how to play her, how to break her down piece by piece until she couldn’t fight.

            “…What do you want?” She murmured furiously.

            Kuraim clicked his tongue, setting the antidote back in his pouch. He moved torturously slow, every step making her fingers twitch irritably. Her gaze shifted back and forth from him to the antidote, mind racing with risky plans on how to snatch the medicine from him without reaching the same result as her previous attempts at protecting her family. He was inches away from her now, when his hand suddenly seized her by the chin, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. Akane flinched, tensing her every muscle before her natural reaction took over to attack. His face leaned into her, breath fanning over her lips.

            “You must think I’m an idiot Akane.” Kuraim said quietly. “The last time you asked that, you tried to wound me. Even now, you want nothing more than to hit me, don’t you? You want to steal _my_ antidote for brats who don’t deserve to survive!”

            She squinted at him, “Nothing would make me happier than to destroy you Kuraim.”

            He tightened his grip on her, one of her hands grabbing his wrist reflexively once the pressure began to hurt her. She heard Midori protest fearfully, her voice drowned out by another scream from Haruto. In the brief distraction, his attention exclusively on her, Akane made a daring decision to act on her own whim. His lips crashed against hers suddenly, and she jerked herself free from his smothering grasp. She swiped her arm across her face repeatedly, offering a disgusted look to her self-proclaimed ‘lover’ as he licked his lips. He tasted like a horrendous blend of alcoholic drinks and chemical smoke, a flavor that Akane never knew she would be forced to suffer. His grin was malicious.

            “Lips as sweet as I expected… You had better get used to those kisses Akane,” He asserted cynically. “Because the only way you’ll save your family is if you agree to marry me, right here, right now.”

            “What?” Akane would have laughed if she was in any other situation, but her current state only wanted to vomit at the idea.

            “Well, it’s either that, or I kill everyone you love, starting with Nekomaru.” Kuraim idealized, drawing out a dagger for emphasis. “The chemicals that coat these weapons are very deadly… A single scratch is enough to kill large mammals like lions… I don’t have an antidote for them yet.”

            Akane snorted, spitting the taste of him out of her mouth with disgust. He seemed insulted, though she couldn’t give two craps if he was wounded by her actions.

            He deserved to suffer any way possible after what he had done to her family.

            She began to inch away from him, some sort of triumphant shimmer in her eyes that didn’t go unnoticed by Kuraim. He set the dagger back in place, looking over her inquisitively.

            “I would think you would tremble at the knowledge of such perilous poisons.” He said, unamused by her continuing confidence. “Unless you know something I don’t?”

            The ultimate gymnast couldn’t stop the smirk that inched over her lips, earning a perplexed look from the stalker as she stepped away from him. One of her arms was tucked behind her back like she was hiding something from him. Kuraim’s eyes narrowed on her, and she moved further away again. He examined past her, eyeing the children who had grown curiously silent over the last few seconds. Midori was on her feet, appearing to acknowledge something more than just the two individuals currently in a standoff. The moment his gaze wavered from Akane, dropping to his belt where he had secured his antidote, the sprightly girl suddenly sprinted forward at Akane’s booming shout and twist of her body.

            She had stolen the potion from him once his lips tainted hers, and with nowhere to go or any other type of plan in mind, she was willing to risk it all in a short span of time.

            Kuraim roared at her, snatching one of the daggers from his belt in one hand while the other reached for the weapon that was dreaded the most. Akane raced closer to her siblings, her frantic idea resting on saving Haruto first before taking the brunt of damage that would be thrown at her. Midori nearly crashed into her before seizing the antidote from her, speeding back to her family while Akane guarded her family with her body. She was willing to give her life for her little brother, willing to take every bullet round to the back and every septic dagger to the leg if it meant protecting her siblings.

            Her neck twisted enough to view Kuraim as he threw the knife, shifting her body enough so she could knock it aside with a swift kick. It crashed to the ground, blade snapping from the sheer force of impact with the ground. The cries of her siblings poured from behind her as the gun aimed for her, the hammer pulled back with a resounding click in her sensitive ears.

            “There’s no bargaining with you, is there!?” bellowed Kuraim, all sanity lost to the river of infinite vehemence as he stormed after the woman. “Very well Akane, I’ll settle for your withered corpse then! A silent cadaver offers no complaints!!”

            Akane spread her arms out, looking back to her siblings huddled together mere feet away. Midori had Haruto in her arms, dispensing the medicine down his throat unreservedly. She smiled, a small sense of relief in her knowing that there was a chance that he would survive now.

_BANG!_

            Akane inhaled tersely at a sharp pain bursting through her previously gouged shoulder, only recently salvaged from the last fight she endured alone.

            “Big sis, no!” Kosuke crawled to his feet, reaching a hand out to her.

            “Stay there!” Akane demanded, somehow maintaining her composed grin. “I’ll be okay, li’l- “

_BANG!_

            Her wounded leg nearly gave out beneath her as another shooting pain rushed over her, this time rendering her silent as she gritted her teeth.

            It hurt _. It hurt so much_. But she had to be strong for them. She had to survive long enough until…

            She relied on her salubrious leg to keep her upright, taking deep breaths, “I won’t… fall. He won’t win… no matter how many times… he hurts me… because…”

            “Akane!!” Kurenai screamed her name just as the barrel of the gun pressed firmly into her back. She stiffened as the hammer cocked again, Kuraim’s free hand slowly laying on her hip. Akane didn’t budge, she only waited.

            His voice rasped into her ear, “If only… you just _listened_ to me, Akane. Then I wouldn’t have to do this.”

            “Go to hell…” She hissed precariously.

            Kuraim only cackled at her demands, fingers grasping her waist. It was the last thing she felt for a while when the gun went off again and she collapsed to the ground, eyes squeezing shut with the irritating ringing in her ears from the noise of the weapon. She felt multiple small hands grab at her arm, shaking her repetitively as if trying to wake her. A shrill reverberation making the ground vibrate beneath her, voices tried to reach her in a raucous commotion, drowned out by her fading conscious. But she knew… it was her siblings calling to her.

            Her little ones…

            And was that…?

            A scream of outrage…?

            Another voice calling to her…?

            An anesthetizing sensation washed over her suddenly, brain overwhelmed and defeated. Giving up because she was shot in the back…? No… just trying to find some rest. She was drained after all. The murky depths of oblivion welcomed her with open arms, promising a wonderful eternal sleep that she deserved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm evil. Sorry.  
> Anyways, believe it or not, but we are very close to the end of this story! There will, at the most, be three chapters left from this point on. Be prepared!


	20. Chapter 20

            Akane vaguely remembered feeling like this once before; floating in an empty space with a throbbing sensation over two parts of her body. It was like an empty dream, offering her a chance to rest and recharge completely. She didn’t want to sleep though… she wanted to wake up. There was… something she had to do.

            Why was she asleep if she had something important to do?

            Still, her eyes refused to open despite her efforts, and it felt like her body was being shaken with force again and again. For her to be sleeping this heavily… she must have seriously been worn out. If she was in some earthquake though, she really needed to wake up to…

            To… do what? Why did she want to wake up? It felt so nice to be sleeping, ignoring the odd throbs and tremors in her body like they weren’t really happening. How long had it been since she got a decent amount of sleep? They needed to leave her be, to stop shouting at her to wake up and cease their persisting shakes.

            …They?

            Akane furrowed her eyebrows, conflicted. She couldn’t recall what she had been doing last, or why her shoulder and leg were aching so badly. There was no explanation to the random numbness in her back that faded in and out of sensation. Her mind reeled, searching for answers when her body shook again.

            A voice called out, “Please wake up Akane!”

            How annoying! Why couldn’t the little ones just let her…

            … _Li’l ones_ …?

            Her eyes opened, examining her surroundings in a panic. All around her was white, desolation wherever she looked. While the empty expansion around her was a blank slate of nothingness, it was somehow alive with noise rattling endlessly in dissonant echoes. Vaguely, she caught sight of a blurry image fading in and out of view a few feet away.

            “Akane!!”

            “Big sis, please open your eyes!”

            “Don’t leave us!”

            Akane rubbed at her eyes, unsure if she was witnessing her siblings staring down at her as they shook her again. The image dissipated, replaced by another depiction of Kosuke and Tatsuo clinging to their scarves, gazes locked forward with terror. They recoiled suddenly, mouths moving as they hollered something that she couldn’t fully understand. Akane reached out to them as the image faded once more, lost in the sea of white.

            There was a cry, a loud bang, followed by _terrible_ screams. It frightened her, resounding in her ears vociferously. Her hands shot up to cover them in a weak attempt to block out the noise, feet pressing onto a concealed ground beneath her. At once, her legs gave out beneath her at an unsettling weakness consuming them, dropping her onto her knees as she waited for the racket to cease.

            That one sound though… it was the sound of a gun. A weapon that had done nothing but cause her grief, fill her with fear and pain. She remembered why her body was throbbing, ruminating on the feeling of the barrel pressing into her back. It had discharged, and now she was here, lost in a heavenly white witnessing the terror and panic in her sibling’s eyes.

            Another image blearily came into sight, and Akane could barely make out two people facing off against each other. She squinted at the picture, waiting for it to clear up enough until she could recognize exactly what she was witnessing. Her eyes widened, hand reaching out as she released a cry seeing Kuraim pointing his gun at the manager.

            “Nekomaru!”

            The loud blast went off again, her body tensing as she saw Nekomaru recoil, hands pressing over her ears again as the vision vanished in a burst of blood red. There were more shouts, another battle cry, sounds of weeping from children. The little ones were calling to her, pleading that she would get up. She could hear it all so clearly, but her body still refused to budge. Why couldn’t she wake up? Her eyes squeezed shut, a scream escaping from her mouth. Nekomaru was trouble, her siblings were in danger… Kuraim would kill all of them.

            They needed her help.

            “Wake up, wake up!!” She yelled at herself, thumping the sides of her head. “They need you: the little ones, Nekomaru, they need you to wake up!”

            The palms of her hands smacked against her forehead, desperate. She heard her siblings call out to her again, followed by the sound of a snap then a raucous scream of agonizing dread. It was the voice of a male, but she couldn’t tell if it was Kuraim or Nekomaru. Akane grabbed a fistful of her hair in each hand, her body quivering as she whispered to herself repeatedly to stop being weak.

            “Li’l ones…” She dreaded to think about losing any of them. “Nekomaru…”

            Something soft touched her hands, and Akane jerked back, falling onto her rear as she addressed the source apprehensively. She swore she stopped breathing the moment she grasped what stood before her. The white that once filled the area was now a field of swaying flowers, petals of multiple colors floating in the breeze as they were carried away to another plane of existence. If this was a dream… Akane wasn’t sure if she wanted to wake up from it anymore. Her shoulders began to tremble, the threat of tears imminent.

            A single name fluttered from her lips, disbelieving, “Hikari…?”

            There she was, the female twin of Haruto standing before her with bright cheerful eyes. She lowered to her crouched level, smiling warmly, but tilting her head with confusion. There were no wounds on her, no blood to speak of dripping out of her body. She was healthy and content, cheeks rosy red, wild strands of hair sticking out of place to match her enthusiastic personality that could never be pinned down… Just like Akane remembered her being before any of the hell she endured happened.

            “What are you doing here, big sis?” Hikari inquired. “It’s not your time yet!”

            Akane lurched forward, embracing the girl tightly as her emotions spilled out of her with a weak cry. She buried her face into her shoulder, breathing in her familiar scent as she wept freely. Her warmth was there, she wasn’t a limp doll in her arms. She was _real_.

            “Too tight!” Hikari protested with a giggle. “Big sis, you’re squeezing me way too tight!”

            “I’m sorry!” Akane hardly lessened her hold, another sob fleeing her lips. “I just… can’t stop myself right now.”

            Seeing there was no escaping, Hikari endured the hug as long as necessary, wrapping her small arms around Akane in response. She patted her back tenderly, whispering comforting words much too mature for her own age. They remained like that for a long time, mainly because Akane was unwilling to part with her sister out of worry that she would disappear from her life again. She ran her fingers through the girl’s hair, reminiscing on simpler times when she didn’t have to worry about dangerous situations affecting her family. The only thing she had to ever worry about were the men her step-mother brought home, and even then, they were never an excessive issue.

            When Akane eventually pulled away from her, tears spilling from her eyes, Hikari wiped them away gently, asking, “Why are you crying big sis? I’m right here, you don’t have to cry over me anymore.”

            “Because…” Akane hesitated, looking over her departed sister mournfully. “I failed you, Hikari. I wasn’t able to protect you when you needed me the most.”

            Her smile softened, “You didn’t fail me. I wanted to protect Haruto, even if it meant that I could get badly hurt.”

            The gymnast shook her head defiantly, “No, that was supposed to be my job. I should have taken the bullet, not you. And Haruto… I’ve failed him too. I’ve failed all of you guys… Nekomaru, too…”

            Hikari only grinned at her, climbing to her feet before taking Akane’s hand and pulling her up too. Though her leg and shoulder still pulsated, albeit far less than it had been in the expansion of white, Akane steadied herself onto her feet.

            “Come with me,” Hikari encouraged the woman, pointing in a random direction as she began to tug on her hand.

            The girl started to run through the field of flowers, dragging her older sister behind her without a single care in the world. Through watery eyes, Akane followed, unsure what to make of the whole deal, but offering no disinclination. They sprinted freely, kicking up more petals as the wind pushed them along, encouraging their elation. Somehow, she managed to laugh with Hikari once the girl released her hand, spinning in circles, then dancing at her side making silly faces. The aching in her body seemed to fade away, leaving little more than a nagging prod in the back of her mind.

            After spinning until they were too dizzy to stay on their feet, the two girls fell into the swaying flowers, giggling like school girls. They drifted into peaceful silence after a while, gazing up at the blue sky above. The silence only lasted for so long. Hikari rolled onto her side, staring down at Akane rather expectantly, “Do you feel better now?”

            Akane blinked at her, offering a lop-sided grin, “I guess so?”

            “Good! I’m glad it still worked.” Hikari tittered excitedly.

            She sat up, Akane following her action with an inquisitive stare, “Still worked?”

            “You used to tell us a long time ago, that when we ever got sad, we should run as fast as we can or dance like we didn’t care.” explained the female twin. “I remember you told all of us that years ago when we couldn’t find food and Kurenai wouldn’t stop crying. You started to run and dance and make silly faces until we started to laugh and smile again. You were always strong for us big sis, and you still are.”

            The older sibling vaguely recalled performing such actions, though the memory was faint. It astounded her to know that Hikari remembered something as miniscule as that, a prideful feeling swelling up in her heart. She set her other hand on the child’s head, gently brushing a stray petal out of her hair.

            “You do have to go back though.” She continued pragmatically. “Everyone is still alive, and they’re waiting for you to wake up.”

            Akane had to probe, “Where… is here anyway Hikari?”

            The little girl beamed, “Where else? The place you called Paradise, the place you can go when you die, it’s real! It’s beautiful, there’s food, and it’s warm, and it’s whatever you want it to be!”

            “It’s nice… I could stay here forever.” Akane admitted quietly.

            “But you can’t!” objected Hikari, pouting. “It’s not your time yet!”

            She leaned over and thumped her forehead on Akane’s chest, and when the gymnast went to offer an embrace, her arms transpired through her body. A brief spell of panic came over her, and she looked around her at the sound of shattering glass. The entire field of flowers was beginning to fade away into blackness around her, closing in on the two of them.

            “Hikari, what’s happening?” Akane stammered anxiously, trying to set her hand anywhere on the girl only to fail each time. It was as if she was a hologram, able to be seen, but no longer able to be touched. The youngster only smiled up at her calmly, stepping away from her older sister. Akane stared at her with dejected eyes. “Wait, Hikari… I don’t want to leave you!”

            “Go back to them big sis.” Hikari whispered somewhat somberly, small tears in the corner of her eyes. “I wish you could stay too honestly, but… They need you more than I do. I’ve got everything I need here, and now I can be everyone’s guardian angel. Besides,” A sly smile somehow found its way onto her lips. “You also gotta be with Nekomaru, don’t you? There’s something real special about him.”

            Akane understood then: Hikari was sending her back to the real world, refusing to let her stay any longer than necessary. She wanted her to go back and defend their family. If it wasn’t her time… then she wasn’t dead. She could still fight.

            Any sense of fright in her melted away seeing that beautiful smile, her darling sister slowly fading out of sight as the darkness covered everything around Akane. The warmth of her sister seeped over her body like a blanket, offering consolation in the darkness. Weariness settled over her like a shot of anesthesia, compelling her eyes to close.

            “I love you so much big sis! I know we’ll see each other again someday!”

            Akane smiled hearing Hikari’s sweet voice, willingly drifting away into sleep’s embrace, “Yeah… I love you too, kid…”

* * *

 

            Akane’s eyes shot open as she inhaled a deep breath of air, followed by a flurry of coughs that racked her entire body. She heard thankful shouts of joy all around her, suddenly aware of the little ones who encircled her. They all looked panicked, continuing to shake her wherever their hands laid on her, yelling at her to get up and to help. Her eyes squinted at them, somewhat disoriented from regaining consciousness so suddenly until it all came flooding back to her.

            She had been protecting her siblings from Kuraim until the barrel of the gun pressed firmly into her back. When the gun had gone off from behind her, she had expected searing pain to flare through her spine, her mind playing tricks on her from the anticipation of agony that never came. Instead, the gun was fired into the air after Kuraim had been wrenched away from her, the sound triggering a paradoxical response throughout her body that made her believe she had been shot.

            “Akane!” cried Midori, shaking her arm with more force. “Oh, thank goodness you’re alive!”

            “M-Midori?” Akane blinked, trying focus her vision. “Hey… li’l ones. Hikari says hi…”

            They all gave her stunned looks, before mild grins found its way onto their lips. Kurenai was staring down at her from above, holding her head in her lap while Hana sat near the crook of her neck. Kosuke and Tatsuo were at her legs, indecisive on where to look from their sister to another direction as they pressed their scarves to their chests, safeguarding their prized possessions. Their joy only lasted for a few short seconds. At once, Tatsuo recoiled at a thrashing noise, a body slamming into a wall with a vicious cry.

            “You have to help him big sis!” The boy pleaded fearfully.

            “Help…?” Akane’s mind cleared hearing deep pants nearby, finally grasping the reality around her completely.

            Who else could have saved her life in the nick of time? He had pledged to help her through anything after all.

            “Nekomaru,” She rolled onto her side, barely wincing at the pressure set onto her injured shoulder. He had been wounded, the brief visions in her state of unconscious had informed her that much. “Nekomaru…!”

            He stood before the family defensively, shoulders rising and falling with every heavy inhalation he took. Akane’s eyes widened with horror as she viewed his backside, patches of his white tank top soaked red with blood from two bullet holes in his body: one through his arm, the other through his stomach. His pants were ripped with multiple incisions, a dagger deep in his thigh, forcing him to lean all his weight on his other leg. He slowly glanced back at Akane, acknowledging her call with a small grin.

            “Finally woke up, huh?” He blustered. “Good, I was starting to think I was too late.”

            Akane lifted herself into a sitting position, beginning to quiver the longer she gawked at the lesions on Nekomaru’s body, “Y-you’re hurt.”

            “What, these?” The coach gestured to himself, offering a confident chuckle before turning his back to her again. “These are nothing. I won’t fall so easily, Akane.”

            She heard the strain in his voice. He wasn’t going to fool her so easily, but his intentions were to keep the children calm. While she comprehended his suffering, the little ones gawked at him in awe of his resilience. Kosuke and Tatsuo were at her side, admiring the hero they aspired to be more and more, under full impression that good would triumph over evil.

            “How is Haruto?” Nekomaru questioned. “He hasn’t budged since I got up here.”

            Akane twisted her body back at the mentioning of her ill brother, looking over his frail body nervously. To her immense relief, his screams of anguish had subsided, and the convulsive spells he suffered had lessened to little more than occasional twitches in his fingers. He was breathing normally as well, expression eased into a serene rest. The antidote had worked as well as she had yearned.

            “He’s better.” She responded with a sigh of relief, coaxing Midori and Kurenai to move back to his side with Hana in tow. “He’ll survive…”

            “Good.” Nekomaru affirmed. “Just stay there and watch over your siblings for me. I’ll handle this bastard…”

            Akane searched past her faithful companion, seeking the main source of her problems with a scowl.

            Kuraim had his back to the door, left arm limp at his side, broken at the elbow where his bone jutted grotesquely out of his skin. A thick puddle of blood continued to expand under his feet, flowing down his broken arm, a true horror to witness. His other hand seized a single vial of deadly looking red liquid, a small crack chipping the opening. Bruises colored his face, blood dribbling from his nose ceaselessly. Shards of glass cut into his skin and clothes, the rest littering the ground around him, mixing with puddles of blood and the liquid from the vials they leaked from. How he was able to keep himself standing was unfathomable to comprehend.

            A portion of his pants looked as though it was burned away, the skin red and sizzling beneath it. On a harsh collision with the ground due to Nekomaru throwing him, a vial of acid in his pocket had broken and spilled directly onto his flesh. His belt laid strewn a few feet away from him, torn from his waist at some point during their close brawls. At the edge of the building laid the gun, knocked out of the criminals grasp through one of their scuffles. They had been at this for a while now, Akane could only guess she had been unconscious for a few minutes at most with the amount of damage spread rather equally between the two fighters.

            Kuraim released a loud scream suddenly, pulling himself from the door, “I should have just killed the brats one by one! I should have never shown them mercy; blew their brains out of their skulls, filled them with all sorts of poisons, experimented on them like the rats they are! But instead, I was much too nice, too willing to make a deal with the person I _loved_! You have betrayed my trust Akane!!”

            He pointed a finger at Nekomaru, a manic smile replacing the sneer on his face, “But one miraculous thing gets to come from this encounter. You can’t be saved now, not without my antidotes. Do you feel the poison flowing through your veins yet? Does your body feel like it’s melting from the inside out? I hope it does… because when you die, she’s next in line to be exterminated.”

            Nekomaru barely seemed affected by his threat, reaching for the dagger in his leg and drawing it out of his thigh with a soft grunt. He tossed it aside, metal clinking with the ground a few times before sliding to a stop near the forcefully discarded gun. Despite his less than stellar condition, he stood tall, keeping his gaze fixed on Kuraim as he growled, “You will _never_ touch her or her family again. Not while I am still standing.”

            In response, Kuraim began to laugh maniacally, popping the cork off the vial in his hand with a push of his thumb, “You won’t be standing much longer after this.”

            Nekomaru held his ground, watching as the crazed male downed the liquid in a single gulp. He wiped at the residue that dripped down his chin, licking his lips with a triumphant and cocky grin. Akane pushed herself onto her feet slowly, obtaining minor support from Kosuke and Tatsuo before she sent them back to join Midori. She heard a developing commotion from the ground, assuming the sound of gun fire and shouts of confrontation had attracted attention from alarmed citizens and gym attenders. The silence that ticked by where she stood on guard was almost deafening, the group waiting for _something_ to happen from the unknown substance that Kuraim had ingested.

            But when it did happen, none of them were prepared for it.

            Kuraim’s body jerked suddenly, his once confident smile shriveling into a contorted frown. A look of concern and confusion flashed into view, disappearing instantly at another lurch of his body. He sounded as if he was choking, single hand clawing at his throat as the vial slipped free and shattered on the ground. His legs crumpled beneath him, sending him to the ground as he rasped for air. The color of his face began to change into an unnatural shade of contusion, veins exposing themselves under his skin, pulsing rapidly in sync with his irregularly debauched heartbeat. He released a voracious roar suddenly, throwing his head back, spine bending far enough for Akane to swear she heard his bones snapping to accommodate the bow.

            And as suddenly as it commenced, it concluded with his entire body falling limp in his unstable position.

            Akane held her breath, anticipating. Something was wrong, the wild feeling in her gut was telling her to remain on edge. She didn’t need to articulate the feeling to Nekomaru, the tension in his shoulders informed her that he was discomforted by the whole thing as well. Over the brief silence, they could hear the _plink_ of every drop of blood that splashed into the puddle, ever increasing its size. They waited… expecting him to either fall dead or attack.

            There was a low menacing chuckle, Akane’s spine tingling with disquiet.

            Kuraim’s body lurched forward, sending him into a normal position, eyes bloodshot as he smirked insanely at the group before him. He started forward, slowly entering into a sprint, maintaining the psychotic smile as he charged at Nekomaru. The ultimate manager lifted his fists protectively, planting his feet to the ground. He attacked the instant Kuraim was in range…

            And then he wasn’t there.

            Akane screeched once her mind registered that Kuraim was at her ally’s back side, swinging his leg out, foot slamming into Nekomaru’s spine. His body was thrown forward, skidding along the ground for a few feet until he rolled to a stop, hissing sharply at shards of glass that intruded his skin on impact. Kuraim was running towards him again by the time he tried to catch his breath, gagging when the creeps foot slammed into his stomach this time. Nekomaru rolled onto his side, hand grabbing at his abdominal as he tried to take in air that was forced out of him desperately.

            “What do you think of me now!?” roared Kuraim sanctimoniously. “Isn’t it amazing!? Put the right chemicals together and you can make a super human concoction!” He turned to face Akane and her family, leaning back on his heels to let his hair fall out of his eyes. His terrifying smile remained. “I’m stronger and faster than this brute now. Stronger than all of you. There’s nothing you can do to stop me with your pathetic attacks either. All those times I watched you in the distance… all those times I saw you training… I know how you fight. I used to be weak, but not anymore.”

            Akane bared her teeth at him, “You rely on steroids and weapons to make yourself stronger! They don’t do anything but hide you behind a wall! You’re pathetic!”

            “Do _not_ take that tone with me, Akane!” Kuraim snarled, and he marched towards her, only to be stopped by Nekomaru who grabbed him by the ankle, pulling him back with all his strength and hurling him back.

            The shout of agony that belted from him as he landed on his broken arm tore through air, echoing miles away. Nekomaru shakily got to his feet, hand lifting to his chest, “Maybe you are faster… and maybe you’re stronger than us for now… but all adrenaline dies down eventually. It doesn’t reduce all of the pain either. Your lack of training will catch up to you shortly.”

            Akane knew she had to help him, he was struggling on his own now that Kuraim had resorted to desperate measures. He wasn’t going to win though, not with the two of them paired together. She glanced back at her siblings, taking in their frightened appearance, their large eyes of terror as they stared back at Akane. There was always the chance that they wouldn’t make it.

            “Stay here li’l ones.” She commanded. “When you see an opening… run. Get downstairs and get as far away as possible.”

            “W-we can help somehow!” claimed Kosuke, though the trembles in his shoulders revealed every sense of fear in him.

            “There has to be something we can do!” confirmed Midori.

            “No, I won’t risk it.” Akane declined, turning to face them completely before dropping down to hug all of them together. “Nekomaru and I, we can handle him together. Remember… big sis can do anything.”

            They offered no response, only staring at her as she released them and turned her back to them, running. Kuraim was back on his feet cursing the existence of everything that ever was as he charged at Nekomaru again. She intercepted his rampage, dashing past her partner and slamming her body into him to stop his attack. Like a foul player, he retaliated instantly, biting into her shoulder before grabbing her collar and throwing her to the ground. Nekomaru was on him in an instant, driving his fist into the other male’s cheek hard enough for him to see stars. He stumbled backwards, giving the coach a chance to aid Akane in standing.

            She grinned at him gratefully, only to realize that his direction of travel was towards the gun and dagger that had been tossed aside. Nekomaru reacted faster, dashing like a madman after Kuraim as he neared the weapons, tackling him to the ground too late. In their desperate tussle to decide who was succeed at having the dagger, the gun was kicked farther away by a stray leg. Akane shrieked when Kuraim’s fingers encircled the handle of the dagger during their scuffle, driving the blade deep into Nekomaru’s side at the first chance he had.

            While the manager let out little more than a grunt, something else seemed to jolt through his body as every muscle in his body suddenly tensed up. His hold on Kuraim deteriorated instantly, tremors taking over his every action. The poison in his body was starting to take control of him, burning at his muscles and nerves inch by inch. Kuraim easily kicked him off, laughing victoriously as he recognized the symptoms of his creation effortlessly, “Yes! How does it feel, Nekomaru!? Does it hurt to breathe yet? The next phase is a slow and painful death!”

            Akane replaced her ally in the clash, pinning Kuraim to the ground as they began to roll around in an attempt to decide who would succeed the other at being on top. The tip of the dagger scratched at her skin every time they switched roles, a brief stinging sensation bubbling over the area as if traces of the poison remained, and every time they rolled, Kuraim squirmed at the pressure set on his broken arm. Akane managed to get him to release the dagger after using her speed to her advantage, trapping his legs against the pavement and tugging his arm back, nearly popping the shoulder out of its socket. If she had a few more seconds, she would have successfully left him unable to fight, but he proved to be fierce.

            With a sharp pull, he managed to break free, wrenching Akane down to the ground face first as she tried to keep hold of him. She wasn’t sure how she got into the position, but she found his hands around her throat in the next instant, squeezing the life out of her. Her hands gripped at his wrists, frantically trying to pry them away.

            “Damn it Akane!” Kuraim shouted at her. “I didn’t want to do this to you, but you leave me no choice!”

            Akane gritted her teeth, vision darkening the tighter he squeezed her. She shut her eyes briefly, then inhaled greedily when his nails raked across her flesh. Nekomaru had regained control of his body again, throwing Kuraim off her as his saving action, but it was clear he didn’t have much time left based on the sluggish movements he offered anymore. He swayed on his feet, standing in front of Akane as she gasped for air.

            “Akane…” His voice wearily called to her. “I don’t… have much time left in me.”

            The gymnast gathered her strength to speak, “Don’t talk like that coach. We just have to beat him and get you some help! You’ll be fine, I know you will!”

            He chuckled, shaking his head slowly, “If only… that were true.”

            Kuraim was on his feet again, but even he was starting to slow down too. The blood loss was becoming too great, spattering the ceiling beneath them a crimson red mixture of each of their losses. He snarled at them, but he didn’t move this time like he normally had been.

            Akane knew something was off the moment Nekomaru’s shoulders shook and he _coughed_. She saw the blood burst forth from his lips, splattering on the ground. Her eyes widened when his legs deteriorated beneath him in the next moment, sending him backward to the floor where he crashed, another lacerating cough racking his body. Akane crawled to his side, aware of the increasing roar of laughter tearing free from Kuraim. Nekomaru took shallow, gurgled breaths, his blood leaking from the corners of his mouth. He stared at Akane through glazed eyes, a defeated look about him.

            “Coach Nekomaru!” The voices of her siblings rang out frightfully, Hana letting a terrible wail. On a brief glance to her family, Akane noticed one of the little ones were missing from the group. She prayed they had found an escape route at her request.

            “Perfection! The final stage!!” cackled Kuraim. “Exactly how it went in every experiment: dropping to the ground already practically dead!”

            “No!” Akane laid shaking fingers on his cheek, before her eyes snapped up to Kuraim limping closer to them. She jumped to her feet, darting in front of her fallen partner protectively, arms spreading out as Kuraim leaned over to pick up the dropped dagger again. He moved closer, only feet away from her now. Her body shivered, throat tight as she held back unnerved tears.

            “Get out of the way Akane.” Kuraim rumbled threateningly. “I would honestly rather save you for last and destroy him first.”

             “No, I won’t let you.” Akane hissed bravely, standing firm before her suffering ally. “You have to kill me first if you want to get to him.”

            Kuraim clicked his tongue, using his thumb to wipe away some blood from his chin, as he viewed the gymnast, irritated and pale, “What the fuck is he to you? He’s just a manager, a nobody who will cease existing in a matter of minutes. The poison is terminating him, look at the blood he’s hacked up. If anything, me killing him now will put him out of his misery.”

            “I won’t let you!” She repeated louder. “He’s not dead yet, so there’s a chance for him to survive!”

            “Why are you so fucking stubborn, Akane!?” The experimenter snarled at her. “Why must you make everything such a fucking challenge!? What is this bastard to you, huh? Tell me what he is to you!”

            The gymnast opened her mouth to speak, but she hesitated. She would have said the simple answer, he was her coach, her partner, someone that helped her in time of need though she doubted his intentions. He was kind to her, protective of her family, a guiding light, someone she could challenge so she could get stronger… But there was so much more to it. Her siblings seemed to comprehend it better than she had after all this time.

            She stared Kuraim down, self-confidence brimming in her answer, “I love him.”

            Kuraim lips twitched, an envious and furious glower in his diluted eyes, “What the hell did I ever see in you? Stubborn bitches like you don’t deserve to walk on this planet. Fine, I’ll kill you first, since you seem to insist it!” He lifted the dagger into the air, eager to drive it through the heart that betrayed his. “I’m going to enjoy watching the life leave your eyes.”

            Akane faintly heard the click behind him, and saw the shimmer of silver glint in the sunlight. Her breath hitched when he attacked, a surge of strength moving through her as she caught his wrist in the air. He gawked at her, burning hatred in his eyes.

“Not before I watch yours first.” Akane countered, eyes moving past him in a split second as she suddenly shouted, “Now, Midori!!”

            “Wha- “

            _BANG!_

            Kuraim stiffened in place, eye twitching with incredulity. He stood there for a few seconds, trying to register what had just happened. The dagger slipped out of his fingers, cluttering on the ground before Akane stole her hand back, moving away from him. Slowly, struggling with all of his remaining strength, he craned his neck to examine his backside, eyes locking onto the girl who stood feet away violently shaking in place with his gun in her hands, retrieved out of desperation to help her sister and friend.

One bullet left out of the six, five that were used in haste at the start of the final confrontation. A perfect shot through the chest, puncturing his heart based on the draining color in his face and swiftly weakening stance. He choked on blood rising in his throat.

            “You…” Every word he spoke came out as a horrendous gurgle of blood. “You… bitch.”

            His hand reached for Midori, unstable as it shook vehemently. She merely took a step back before he fell over, convulsing once before he went completely limp, defeated at last with his final breath leaving him in a pool of blood.

            Midori dropped the gun with a gasp of terror, tears spilling from her eyes as she looked to Akane for any sense of comfort. The gymnast only nodded at her, aware of the trauma that the girl had self-induced herself in out of a spur of valor. The rest of the siblings stood in their designated spot, watching from the distance in veneration of their sister’s bravery. Akane would have embraced her siblings at this point, told them everything would be okay and how they were all brave little ones, but… even they knew there were still other matters at hand. Midori’s gaze fell to the wheezing coach, reminding Akane that the victory was short lived.

            She turned back to him, nearing his face, “Nekomaru…?”

            He was pale and struggling to breathe, but on hearing his name, his eyes blearily opened enough to address the gymnast, tears escaping over his temples. She clung to him, carefully setting his head on her lap where she proceeded to overlook his wounds. The worst one at first glimpse would appear to be the bullet wound in his stomach, but the unseen terror running through his body was the main source of his fleeting life. She cupped his face in one hand, trying to keep his attention wholly on her.

            “Just hang on Nekomaru, you’re gonna be fine.” Akane tried to reassure him, turning back briefly to her sister. “Midori, go find some help downstairs!”

            The distressed girl nodded, racing away from the scene obediently while the rest of the siblings surveyed from afar, unsure if they should leave Haruto’s side. Akane laid her other hand on the closest wound on the manager’s body, trying to stop some of the bleeding to her best ability though it might have been a pointless attempt.

            “A-Akane…” Nekomaru’s voice was weak, dangerously fragile compared to his usual boisterous shouts. It pained her to hear it like that.

            “Don’t talk, save your breath.” Akane strictly reprimanded, setting two of her fingers over his lips to emphasize the statement. “You have to hang on… P-people are gonna get here and get you to the hospital and… and you’re gonna be just fine, you hear me?”

            He stared at her, a faint smile finding his lips, “It’s shameful… isn’t it? Being taken down… by some poison… I never thought that I… would go down this way.”

            “Don’t say that!” Akane scolded, her voice breaking. “You’re gonna be fine Nekomaru! Snap out of it, say you’re gonna be fine too!”

            Hot tears slipped over her cheeks, dripping onto his chest. She wasn’t sure when she started to cry, it wasn’t like her to give into it so easily. Her thumb wiped at the blood seeping from his mouth, trying to get rid of the sight of it, trying to convince herself that he would survive. This couldn’t happen. He wasn’t supposed to perish.

            She caressed his cheek, eyes examining his face anxiously, “Tell me you’re gonna be okay Nekomaru!”

            His lips quivered as another wave of tears fell free, blinking slowly as he regarded Akane with a composed expression. With what little strength he had in him, he unsteadily lifted his hand and set it over hers on his face. She turned her palm over enough to clasp her fingers over his, feeling the calloused skin rub against hers. From the stairwell came shouts of distress, police that had been retrieved by Midori making their way up. Akane felt a sense of respite hearing them, praying that they would arrive soon.

            Through heavy eyes, Nekomaru observed her, his small smile remaining. He wasn’t going to lie to her, give her a false sense of relief when he knew that he didn’t have much longer. There was still so much he wanted to do with her, he wanted to see her blossom with every future training session, cheer her on at every competition, watch her siblings grow into incredible people… but it was all a dream he had to watch flee him little by little. He didn’t regret his actions though, he had protected her like he sought to. Instead of her being the one on the brink of death again, it was him. He had fulfilled his duty as a manager.

            “Please tell me…” She whispered to her partner, her grief beginning to render her silent.

            He couldn’t think of anything else to say, “You’re… beautiful.”

            The brief look of surprise that came into view meant the world to him. He wanted to say more to her, to see her smile like she used to, but his time was running out. The agonizing thumps in his chest were lessening by the second, and the painful clenches of his muscles decreased little by little. He saw Akane’s mouth move again, but her voice didn’t reach him this time. Her hand squeezed his, but it was little more than a numb sensation that faded away. She was yelling at him, droplets of water hitting just under his eyes as they began to flutter closed.

            If it truly was his time to die… then so be it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fight scenes were never my strongest point honestly. Hope I didn't disappoint anyone or break some hearts with this chapter. I think... there will be one more chapter, so look forward to the conclusion of Somehow, He Was Always There!


	21. Chapter 21

            Akane stretched her legs out, extending them over the barriers she precariously rested on after another long day. She sighed contently; it had been a pretty satisfying day when she considered it in the long run. The sun peered over the mountains in the far distance, bidding farewell to another passed day of the thousands more to come. A breeze osculated her skin, fluttering her chestnut hair back and swaying her skirt at her thighs. Her eyes closed, adoring the warmth of the final rays of the sun. It had been so long since she had the chance to sit and appreciate the outside air…

            Three weeks had passed since her final encounter with Kuraim, the bane of her existence finally extinguished once and for all after the bullet to his heart destroyed any chances of his survival. The memory of that fateful day was burned deep into her heart, bits and pieces of the scenes flashing into mind randomly. She would drift off into her thoughts, lingering in them, wondering if things could have been different until she was prodded by her family to snap out of the trances. They would ask her what she was thinking about and she would brush away their question with a bright grin, answering usually with the lie of food or boredom. Luckily the little rascals believed her, far more elated in the recent days. Akane did everything in her power to keep the nagging feelings in the back of her head so they didn’t have to remember those days. Sometimes the burst of gunfire would echo in her mind, jostling her from her sleep, leaving her questioning if Kuraim was still there…

            But he couldn’t be. It was impossible, fortunately.

            The officers that had arrived on the scene had confidently announced that the immoral man was dead after viewing his body only fleetingly. He couldn’t have survived from the amount of blood he had lost alone. Their declaration had come before they took Nekomaru away from her, his hand slipping out of hers when his eyes closed and a sigh of air left his body. She remembered screaming at the officials bitterly when they separated them, struggling against them as they tried to calm her and tend to her injuries as well. It required the tender touches of her siblings and their pleading voices to calm her down.

            They were questioned about everything, and while it irritated Akane entirely, she told them what she could through despondent words, gazing only at the door that Nekomaru had been taken through. The sound of the ambulance haunted her, one driving away, two others remaining behind for the family and deceased body. It was strange too; normally they didn’t care enough to approach crime scenes in the scummy town they lived in. Her family was cared for, Haruto being found to be healthy despite his unconscious state, and they were guided to their small ambulance. They all barely fit into it, Haruto set in the stretcher since he was the comatose individual, but there was no way they would be separated from each other if they could help it.

            The stares they received from the public were filled with bewilderment, Mirai seeming to be the most horrified among them all somehow as she watched Akane with wide dreadful eyes. The gymnast had to assume that she had seen Nekomaru as he was taken away in a stretcher, but until everyone that was around the building was questioned, no one would be allowed to interact with anyone who was injured or deceased. She offered her rival little more than an emotionless stare, before the ambulance drove away.

            Recovery had been a relatively slow process because of Akane’s wounds, but Haruto had regained consciousness by the next day, certainly confused, but incredibly relieved to find his family safe and free once again. He struggled to remember details after Hikari’s death, the portion of memory seeming to be blocked off entirely. Akane felt it was for the better, there wasn’t a lot of sense in someone so young being forced to recall such traumatic moments. He mourned for Hikari for the rest of the day, joined by his younger siblings who remained at his and Akane’s side during their time in recuperation. With a liquid I.V. and some food, Haruto was back on his feet in no time, leaving only Akane to regain her strength in her legs after the other bullet had certainly left it rather lame.

            However, their main concern always remained on their fallen ally, Nekomaru. Anytime they inquired about him, or ask if they could visit with him, the nurses would only fall silent and shake their heads. Their anguish only increased when one of them explained that his chances of living were drastically low due to a fragile heart condition he had. There was no telling if he would be able to pull through something as difficult as this. It angered Akane at first to hear that he had never confessed to her about his limitations when she had begun to suspect it upon seeing the signs, but… then it scared her. For him to have something as deadly as a heart defect… his chances truly did decrease.

            Still, she refused to lose hope in him. Until somebody told her straight that he had succumbed to his injuries and the fatal poison that ran through his veins, she would not lose faith in his survival. He was a resilient guy after all.

            But even the most resilient of men could perish…

            Akane caught herself on the barrier she rested on, realizing she had zoned out a bit too much and nearly fell off. She knuckled her forehead, wishing she could forget the agonizing sorrow she experienced. Another sigh, this one less content than the other. Her eyes scanned the city below her, the lively streets she now resided in with her little ones. After she had been released from the hospital, she had decided that she wasn’t going to stay in that crappy town anymore. The memories there were less pleasing than she wanted to claim.

            She returned to their little shack only because she wanted to be certain that Hikari had been laid to rest. The small dirt mound in front of the home was telling enough that her step-mother had at least fulfilled that much in her disappointing life, a small stake jutting from the ground with Hikari’s name carved into it. The pink bandana she had purchased on par with Haruto hung loosely off the edge of it, swaying in a weak and gentle breeze.

            Akane had searched the house silently, seeking their step-mother to tell her that they would no longer live there. She was nowhere to be found in the broken residence, the blood stains still trapped in the ground of their room, leaving a stench of death and decay. The gymnast shivered as she vividly recalled the day she lost Hikari, holding her lifeless body in her arms. It was a devastating day, but everything managed to come together despite the hardships. There were no signs of their parental figure anywhere in the home, so Akane gave up on the idea itself. She felt a bitterness in her heart towards her step-mother, she wanted to loathe her very existence, but she couldn’t bring herself to feel the hatred.

            Without her, she wouldn’t have had her siblings in her life.

            Haruto and the children sat around the mound of dirt when she made her way outside, seeming to be unfazed by their mother’s absence upon being informed that she was nowhere to be found. They hardly acknowledged the fact as it was, captivated by the grave before them. The bandana was removed by Haruto, the boy holding it to his chest closely. None of them cried, they just sat in silence until Haruto suddenly smiled at the stake before resting a hand on it.

            “Thanks for waking me up sis.” He softly whispered. “I’ll make sure that you’re never forgotten.”

            That was the last time they ever saw that small shack. Akane gathered all her earnings from competitions and took them away to the city, where they found an apartment large enough for all of them to comfortably live in together, never to look back on the broken town they once called home. They had a perfect view of their surroundings from a decently sized balcony out the back door, high above the others like kings in their towers. City life was an enormous contrast to the small dingy streets of criminal activity, a lot more noisy and bright, but they adored every second of it. There was a grocery store right across the street, a park only a few blocks down, and tons of restaurants to try out. Best of all, they didn’t have to worry about drunkards or criminals stumbling into their home and threatening their existence.

            It was a life that Akane never expected to experience.

            She took another deep breath, relishing in the scent of chargrill lingering in the air after a long day’s work of uninterrupted preparation. A hand settled on her stomach, content after a glorious feast of sandwiches, sweets, and fruits for a birthday party. The scent of food would normally send her stomach into a growling competition fit to defeat stray dogs, but for the first time in a long time, she felt _full_ and the very concept had her flabbergasted.

            Of course, if she was offered some more food… she would be crazy to turn it down.

            The kids had put up an intense fight defying the need for sleep after celebrating Haruto and Hikari’s birthday, energetic after the loads of cake they consumed. A single slice had been set aside on the table in honor of their lost sister, remembered by the pink bandana that covered the backrest of a chair where she would have sat for dinner. They had their share of fun together, dancing around their apartment until the sun began to set, signaling their coming time of rest. After an hour of wrestling the children to the bathroom for showers, then to their new beds, Akane finally managed to get them to calm down enough to realize their own exhaustion. Sometimes their levels of energy managed to throw her for a loop.

            “Alright alright, that’s enough li’l ones.” She had said in the firmest voice she could muster. “You guys need to sleep!”

            “But we’re not tired!” chattered Midori, pulling the covers up to cover her roguish grin.

            “Can’t I be allowed to stay awake longer now that I’m ten?” bargained Haruto. “I’ve hit the double digits!”

            “Not a chance.” Akane snorted impishly. “You guys got to stay up late a few days ago because we had to make the beds and put away kitchen stuff. It’s time to get back on schedule.”

            “That was so much fun.” remarked Kosuke, reminiscing on the tiny ensemble he made with Hana and Tatsuo banging on the pots and singing as loud as they could.

            Akane nodded, resting at the foot of the three youngest children’s shared bed, “Yeah, it was. Now we have a pretty good looking apartment to call home. We never have to worry about anything again, not while I stick to those competitions and keep bringing in money.”

            “And we’ll cheer you on every time!” giggled Kurenai.

            “Wouldn’t be the same without you, li’l ones…”

            A few of them started to yawn, snuggling deeper into their covers. In no time at all, the younger siblings drifted into sleep, leaving the three oldest to stare among each other. Haruto and Midori fought desperately to stay awake, seeming to have a staring competition with Akane who patiently challenged them to their duel. Midori lost a lot faster than anticipated, head flopping back into her pillow as she started to softly snore, leaving her brother to fend for himself. Based on his drooping eyelids and nodding head, Akane knew he wouldn’t last longer than a few more minutes. He eventually laid back, giving in to his exhaustion reluctantly as he muttered, “Fine.”

            Akane shook her head at them, rising from the bed and moving to the light switch near the doorway. She looked back once at the resting kids, relaxed and warm in their beds, a picturesque contrast to previous days.

            “Good night li’l ones.” She whispered to them, flicking the lights off and turning her back to them when her stubborn brother called to her tiredly. An unsurprised puff of breath escaped her as she peered over her shoulder to where her family could faintly be seen in the fading light of the sun. “What do you need, kiddo?”

            He was quiet for a moment, as if he was contemplating telling her his thoughts. When she turned her body completely to face him, prepared to approach the bedside out of mild concern, he spoke up softly, “I just… really wish Coach Nekomaru could have been here for our birthday…”

            Akane paused, unsure how to reply to his wishes. His light snores entered her ears, informing her that he had passed out after finishing his sentence. She certainly had to agree with him though… they all missed him something severe.

            After sprucing the kitchen up, Akane had made her way out the back door to view the world around her, and there she had contemplated all that had happened to her in a matter of months. The sun barely peered over the mountains, its light slowly being replaced by the moons soft glow and the stars’ lovely decoration of the darkening sky. She loved to watch all of the lights flick on over the city, keeping it alive even at night, bustling despite the unspoken agreement for taciturnity. None of the street lights flickered, or ceased working in general, they were always bright and lighting up the ground beneath them. She grinned, listening to the dogs bark, the vehicles run, and the other children play until their families scurried them back inside. It would have been a perfect day, but without Nekomaru… it wasn’t quite the same.

            Akane waited in silence, fingers tapping an unknown rhythm on the concrete wall. Her ears picked up a faint noise from the apartment and she shook her head. One of the children probably had to use the bathroom last minute. She would have to send them back to bed if they refused to return themselves.

            Instead, she heard a couple footsteps padding towards her, the back door sliding further open to accommodate the figure fitting through it.

            “Ah, here you are.”

            Akane glanced over her shoulder and grinned only for a fleeting moment, hoisting her legs back over the wall to swing herself around and face her faithful ally with a disappointed pouting expression, “You’re totally late, old man. The li’l ones are already asleep.”

            Nekomaru scratched the back of his head bashfully, shutting the door behind him and moving to her side, leaning with his forearms on the barrier, “I know, I know… But I had to get Haruto and Hikari presents, and it took some effort to bring it here.”

            She quirked an eyebrow at him, taken aback by his kindness, “Presents? You didn’t have to bring him something, they just wanted you to be here for the party.”

            He gave her a toothy smile, “What kind of person goes to a party without bringing gifts? He’s ten now, he deserves something nice. I set Hikari’s gift next to her bandana.”

            Akane looked at him with a calmer expression, a light smile of admiration on her lips. She drifted her gaze away to the door, now looking forward to the boys’ excitement when he would find the gift. It warmed her heart.

            “Thanks…” She said lightheartedly. “I’ll return the favor somehow.”

            As expected, he replied simply with, “No need.”

            In her mind, she owed him plenty. Without his aid in the final confrontation, she and her family would have surely perished against Kuraim. Nekomaru had fended him off until she could get back on her feet, and protected her diligently like a knight with their designated royal. He fought to his best ability, even when he was on the verge of death as the poison flowed through his veins. There were many moments that it seemed like he wouldn’t make it, one specific instant making the gymnast believe he truly was gone.

            The first time Akane and her family got to see him was after he was proclaimed deceased after his heart monitor flat lined. She had only started getting back to her feet and was shakily making her way down the hall with the encouragement of her siblings when a nurse remorsefully informed her of his passing. In her disbelief, she _ran_ , only aware that he was a floor above her. Assistants tried to stop her, block her path, but she broke through all of them forcefully, refusing to stop until she found his room. Some nurses were beginning to pull the sheets over his face, emphasizing the fact of his passing, when she _screamed_ at him, demanding that he open his eyes. Her siblings piled behind her, weeping for their friend, pleading that what they heard wasn’t true.

            Highly aware that they wouldn’t be able to calm the family, the nurses allowed them to enter the room so long as they were discreet and would maintain the peaceful atmosphere of the hospital, watching her from the door. Akane moved to his bedside, bottom lip trembling as she looked over his lifeless form. It felt exactly like Hikari, excruciating, but impossible to look away from no matter how much she wanted to. Hot tears streaked over her cheeks as she stared at his tranquil expression, proving he had passed in his sleep. Her heart felt like a knife had slit it in two, forcing her to grieve.

            But this time, she was more enraged than disheartened. It wasn’t fair… he was supposed to make it. If only he had told her about his heart condition, then maybe she would have been able to protect him more than she had. Maybe she could have been stronger for him. Strength… she didn’t have enough of it.

            She wasn’t sure what took over her, but in a split second, she grabbed his arm tightly in one hand while the other curled into a fist and went to hit his chest, a mixture of resentment and sorrow boiling over her spirit.

            “How dare you leave us like this!” She had screeched at him, her actions startling her siblings as her fist struck him in his chest again. “You’re supposed to be stronger than this! I thought you were stronger than this! I believed in you!!”

            “That’s enough!” Her arms were grabbed by employees as pulled her away from him. She didn’t want to leave his side, fighting them stubbornly, cursing them for trying to keep her away from him. Her legs gave out beneath her, the weaknesses taking over in sync with her tears. The cries she gave out echoed through the halls, certainly disturbing any sense of peace the hospital tried to maintain. No one could possibly find the heart to be irritated with her though. Those types of cries were heard every so often.

            Then, the monitor timidly chirped once, and she froze in place, head lifting to the previously deceased male. Her arms were released immediately as the practitioners gave out gasps of amazement. The words that fled their mouths had Akane soaring with relief.

            “He’s alive!”

            They yelled for assistance, surrounding Nekomaru at once, and Akane waited until the rhythm of his heart returned loud and clear over the monitor. It was the greatest sound in the world that day, no matter how much it irritated her ears with every high-pitched chirp. From that moment on, she knew he would survive.

            And he did.

            It took him longer to recover, but Akane made a point to visit him every day before she was released and chose to move her family to the city. He offered his apartment as a place to stay until they got settled in, allowing her access to her earnings and giving her a chance to search for the best place to live in. Once she was given her own key a week later, he was released from the hospital. While he was still weak, he tried to help them in any way possible until Akane forced him to rest at home, insisting he wait until Haruto and Hikari’s birthday party to visit with them next. He seemed unhappy to be reprimanded by her, but he gave in to her request and slunk away to recuperate, promising he wouldn’t miss it for the world.

            So, when he didn’t show up to the party, she suspected he might have been too feeble still. The little ones were disappointed, but they understood too. They had intended to take him a slice of cake tomorrow and visit with him to check on his health.

            It would be wonderful to see their faces in the morning if he decided to stay.

            Yet… it could have been different if he didn’t live.

            “You scared us, you know.” Akane said suddenly, though only above a whisper.

            Nekomaru tilted his head at her, confused by her unexpected comment, “How so?”

            “When you died,” She muttered, dropping her gaze to the ground. “It scared us… but it made me angry too.”

            He paused, watching her as she refused to look him in the eye for a while. It was unlike her to avoid eye contact with him. Normally the fire in her eyes never extinguished and remained diligently locked on him, in joy, anger, or sorrow. His momentary death had affected her more than even she could have anticipated. He straightened himself from the ledge, setting the tips of his fingers on his chest as he gazed out to the sunset.

            “I heard you yelling at me.” He said gently.

            Her head lifted slightly out of surprise and embarrassment, “You heard me…?”

            “Yeah, and I heard Hikari’s voice too.” Nekomaru confessed. “She asked me to take care of you guys, then I heard your voice. It was a weird feeling honestly.”

            Akane nodded, able to understand the sentiment as well, “It is... You know, I heard Hikari too, when I was knocked out for that while. I guess… she’s like our guardian now.”

            They fell silent, the sting of her loss still lingering when they thought about her. The feeling would probably never fade, and birthdays were always going to result in tearful celebrations somehow, but Akane would always continue to hold her head up high and smile for the sake of her siblings. She straightened her back, eager to change the subject.

            “How are you feeling coach?” She asked. “Do the wounds still hurt?”

            “Not really.” He answered honestly. “Those don’t bother me though, it’s what’s inside that still burns occasionally.”

            “You mean your heart?”

            “…Yeah.”

            Akane frowned, swinging her leg sideways and hitting the side of his knee weaker than she intended to, “You’re an asshole for not telling me.”

            He scratched his nose, hardly affected by her kick, “Sorry… I didn’t feel it was necessary to concern my athlete about past health issues.”

            “It’s just… if you told me, maybe I could have protected _you_ as well.” insisted the gymnast hastily. “I had to save the li’l ones, but if I knew that you were suffering… maybe I could have been even stronger. People always say when you protect someone you care about, you get tougher and can do anything you put your mind to. So, when I learned that you had a weak heart, and you died… I felt so angry because you didn’t tell me.”

            Nekomaru hummed to himself, curiously unresponsive to her outrage. She almost became irritated just from his lack of reaction, but she swallowed it back and waited impatiently for him to say something, swinging her legs back and forth. Patience was never her strongest point, that much was obvious. They sat in silence until the light of the sun only left a pigmentation in the sky, no longer seen beyond the mountains.

            Akane sighed, somewhat annoyed by the extending muteness. It seemed like he would never speak, lost in a thought process that had him totally absorbed. The fading light of the sun was replaced by the glowing moon, stars speckling the darkening sky one by one. Barking dogs were replaced by chirping crickets, laughing children were taken inside their homes, chittering birds quieted in their nests, substituted by the owls of the night.

            “Well, I’m beat coach.” She muttered in defeat eventually, pushing herself off the balcony wall and making her way to the door. “You’re welcome to crash on the couch if you don’t want to go back home this late.”

            Her fingers barely grabbed the handle when he called her name mellifluously. She looked only at his reflection through the window, anticipating a curt ‘good night’ or ‘thanks’, but receiving something different entirely as he continued to stare out to the city.

            “Protecting someone you care about…” Nekomaru thoughtfully reiterated. “That’s why I survived, Akane.”

            She paused a moment longer, intrigued, watching him as he slowly turned to face her. His face was difficult to read through the glass, but she stood her ground stubbornly, still somewhat annoyed by his previous silent behavior.

            “I may have helped you when you needed it, but in the end, you were the one who saved all of us.” The ultimate manager said gently. “If you didn’t stand up to Kuraim when I collapsed… I would have probably perished.”

            “I barely did anything.” Akane asserted. “I just stood there because I was desperate.”

            “Maybe so, but that’s not exactly why I think I survived.” He vaguely insinuated.

            “It’s because Midori shot him dead.” Her grip tightened on the handle when he shook his head, a brief smile finding its way onto his lips.

            “No Akane, it’s because of what you said.”

            She wasn’t sure why, but her entire body seemed to lock up. Not because she was embarrassed, or startled by his words, but because she couldn’t _remember_ what she had said. Of all the times her memory had to fail her, she wished it didn’t have to happen in this moment. Her brain scrolled through the struggle, trying to pinpoint exactly what she may have said while she protected Nekomaru.

            When he began to walk toward her, she started to panic. Her body turned to face him out of self-defense when he was only a couple feet away, her heart pounding against her chest. She searched his face, trying to get a read on it. He seemed… unusually anxious, yet confident? That wasn’t a normal mix of emotions…

            Akane tried to play off her nerves with her typical buoyancy, “What did I say? Was it something bad?”

            He chuckled for some reason, and she pursed her lips at him, frowning. His eyes met hers as he calmed down again, an air of seriousness about him.

            “Kuraim asked you… what I was to you.”

            Akane’s eyes grew wide as the memory seemed to click into place at once. She had stood before the collapsed male as her enemy closed in on them, his rage endless as he shouted at her to move aside. Maybe her answer had been in the spur of the moment, she couldn’t say with confidence, but the longer Nekomaru stared at her, the more she had to believe it was true. The way her face felt uncomfortably warm, the way her heart seemed to increase in pace at his approach… was that how it felt in calm situations?

            Nekomaru’s voice softened as he finished his vague recollection, “You told him… you loved me.”

            She swallowed uneasily, back pressing into the door when he took another step closer. If this was truly what love felt like, she wasn’t sure how she was supposed to handle it. It made her feel frail in the knees, it made her stomach flutter with butterflies… and if there was one thing Akane hated the most, it was feeling weak… vulnerable. She ducked her head, tearing her gaze away from the male before her in a poor attempt to gain control of her nerves. The silence was far more torturous now. She heard Nekomaru take in a deep breath.

            “Akane… is it true?”

            Reluctantly, Akane lifted her head to view him, somewhat startled when she realized just how close he was to her now. He was staring directly into her timid eyes, some kind of determined look about him that had her heart pounding even faster if it was possible. He seemed to be waiting for her to answer his question. There was no reason for her to try and avoid it, he wouldn’t let her.

            “I…” Her nerves were getting the best of her, making her tremble. “St-stop that, Nekomaru. You’re making me feel weak…”

            Nekomaru only smiled at her, “Do you remember that I told you that you’re beautiful?”

            She nearly ducked her head again, if he didn’t reach out and tenderly set his hand on her cheek, keeping her eyes trapped on him, making her feel even more flustered than she ever wanted to be. His thumb brushed over her lips tenderly, the small action leaving her reluctant to speak again. She felt faint quivers from his fingers, finding respite in his corresponding anxieties. At least she wasn’t the only one feeling so strange…

            Only after he was perhaps a few inches away from her did she finally realize that he was slowly leaning into her. Her hands pressed into the door for composure, nails clicking against the glass as she held her breath. She recognized what he was doing, but she didn’t know how to appropriately react, resorting to closing her eyes out of desperation to do _something_. He chuckled again, but she offered no reaction this time.

            When his lips pressed into hers, Akane jolted with surprise, body tensing involuntarily as her palms pushed into the glass firmly. She didn’t mean to react so vehemently, it had startled her after she wasn’t sure when to anticipate the action after her eyes had shut. Nekomaru held fast to her though, his other hand slipping to her waist as he gently drew her against him.

            Despite the initial startle, the gymnast eventually gave into him, the tension in her slowly fading away as she returned the kiss reticently. Her hands left the glass, fingerprints smudging where they had securely pressed. They explored, finding their way to Nekomaru’s chest, sliding up and over his shoulders, pulling him forward as she found the rhythm in their dance of sweet confessions. It felt like the dance lasted longer than it truly had before the two ultimates broke apart, gazing deep into each other’s eyes, hazel shimmering in golden irises.

            It was probably the greatest feeling in the world at that moment.

            Akane used to believe that life would never be fair to her. For many years, it fought against her every step of the way, set up brick wall after brick wall that she had to learn to jump over in bounds. Yet for the first time in her whole life, she had to believe that it was about to change for the better; for her and her siblings. She smiled at Nekomaru, the sentiment reciprocated at once by the male before her. His thumb brushed over her cheek once, an unmistakable blush coating his own.

            “Just so you know,” He stated with full confidence, a spark in his eyes as his grin increased in size. “I love you too.”

            Akane lightly respired a laugh, thumping a fist on his chest, “I think I could have figured that out myself.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends Somehow, He Was Always There. It took some time to get this chapter up, because I didn't want it to end, and I wanted it to somehow be a special finale. (Honestly, I am just terrible at concluding things xD). On another note, I want to thank everyone who has stuck with this story, it meant the world to me to know that there were people who actually liked what I was writing. I hope to write a few one shots of this pair in the future someday, but now it is time to focus on my other story, Seeking the End.
> 
> Uh... I don't know what to say now. What am I supposed to say now? xD
> 
> Just know I appreciate you guys so much, because a lot of you encouraged me in my work. You are all incredible people, and I hope you all have wonderful days!


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